30 Days of You and Me
by 800 words of heaven
Summary: It took Felix one instant to know that Rina was the one. It'll take a lot longer to convince Rina of this, however. 30 days, to be exact.
1. Day 1

From the first day that he met her, Felix knew that Rina Monahan was _the one_. He'd heard that it happened like that for some; the moment they laid eyes on their mate, they just _knew_.

It seemed that Felix, SnowDancer's resident horticulturalist, was among those ranks.

She was running patrols in SnowDancer territory today, as it was deemed a more efficient use of their resources if the DarkRiver and SnowDancer soldiers were mixed like this. Felix happened to be working in the same area, checking up on the progress of the regeneration of this section of the forest. A lightning storm from last month had caused a small forest fire in the region. Felix knew that it was all part of the natural order of things, but he had care over these plants, these trees. They were home.

"Should you be out here alone?" Felix barely contained his reflexive jump. He'd been so absorbed in his task, kneeling amongst the roots of a huge tree that had survived the blaze that he hadn't heard her make her way up to him, hadn't scented her on the lazy currents of air that danced around under the canopy of the summer day.

Frowning, he turned around.

And stopped breathing.

For one compelling instant, their eyes met, locked, _tangled_.

And then, just as quickly, his wolf had him averting his gaze, even as a strange warmth bloomed in his chest.

Felix, submissive wolf changeling, had just found his mate, Rina, dominant leopard soldier.

 _Great_. She'd eat him alive, and his wolf would love every minute of it.

"These are SnowDancer lands," he replied evenly, standing up from his crouch to his impressive height, still keeping his eyes averted. It was instinct; his wolf knew that if this dominant leopard mistook his eye contact as a challenge, she'd gut him where he stood. It didn't matter that she was shorter than him by more than half a foot, didn't matter that she was female. She was a dominant soldier, trained to protect those under her care with tooth and claw. "I'm safe here."

She snorted, her long blonde hair tied back in a severe braid. This puzzled Felix. To his wolf, she smelled soft and female, sensuality clinging to her skin like an exotic perfume. His eyes traced her curvaceous form, the rise and fall of her full breasts as she breathed, the way her waist dipped inwards, the pants she wore of a tough durable material doing nothing to disguise the shapeliness of her legs.

Yet her hair was pulled out of her face with a practical brutality, a furrow between her eyebrows, and her full lips were pulled into a grimace.

"This far out? I don't think so, stud. Not from those teleporting Psy," there was a certain harshness to her drawl which spoke to the heart of the wolf. His mate was concerned for him, he thought, his lips curving into a slow smile.

* * *

Rina was surprised by the smile. She vaguely knew to whom she was speaking, this male who was all lean muscle and elegant features. This male who had dirt under his fingernails and boots caked with mud. This male whose smile made things low in her belly tighten with inexplicable anticipation and just a touch of need.

Felix was some sort of plant person for SnowDancer. No, not _some_ plant person – the _head_ plant person.

She considered him intently. Aside for that one electrifying instant of searing eye contact, he was avoiding her gaze. But she knew he was scrutinising her with the same sort of concentration as she was scrutinising him.

It had been some time since she'd indulged in intimate skin privileges. She was a young leopard female, an innately sexual being. But her intense soldier training and recent world events had kept her incredibly busy, leaving little time and energy for play. She knew that she'd have to take care of business soon, though. The leopard that was her other half was rubbing the inside of her skin raw; her sexual frustration was soon likely to spill over into her work, something that she could not afford.

But she hadn't thought it was _this_ bad.

The man before wasn't really her type. Whilst his face and body were of the same mould from which classical statues were cast, he was a submissive. Rina ate submissives for breakfast.

And besides, he was a _wolf_.

A very nice-smelling wolf, her leopard purred.

"Stud?" he asked, that smile revealing a lean male dimple in his left cheek.

Oh, he was _trouble_ , submissive or not.

Good thing Rina knew trouble like the back of her hand. "Of course," she replied, a slow smile of her own pulling at her lips, but unlike his, it wasn't inviting. No, hers held the savage edge of the beast within, one who was frustrated with the human's lack of action in a certain department.

She didn't bother to elaborate, but the message was clear. _Catch me if you can, wolf_. _And then prepare to be eaten._

The leopard bared its teeth. Only the worthy would be brave enough to tangle with Rina, her dominance aggressive in her eagerness to prove her mettle. Dominant female-submissive male pairings weren't unheard of, but between a leopard and a wolf? Never. But this male was beautiful enough to indulge in just a little play, submissive or not.

"You're here now," he replied softly, apparently dropping the earlier matter. "You'll keep me safe."

Rina reeled at the words, but the only betrayal of her surprise was the barest widening of her eyes. Yes, she was a dominant, protecting the vulnerable was what she was built for. Even when her more aggressive tendencies got out of hand, she never forgot why she did this, what her role in the pack was. But she never expected this wolf to demand – no, _expect_ – it of her. Who was she to him?

Her reply was typical of her though, her mouthiness her armour. "Yes," her eyes looked him over in a deliberately provocative manner. "I'll keep you safe." A feline smile, and she melted back into the trees, most of her thoughts returning to the task at hand.

But a part of her remained in that forest clearing, her mind trying to puzzle out the wolf who had captured the attention of both leopard and woman.

The wolf whose eyes had followed her retreat despite the fact that he couldn't possibly see where she was.


	2. Day 2

On the second day, Rina woke to a cactus.

She came downstairs to see the terracotta pot sitting on the kitchen table, and her younger brother, Kit, staring at it.

She came to stand beside him, both of them still wearing old t-shirts and boxer shorts, not yet dressed for the day. She knew that Kit was scheduled to be at the Pack Circle for training in an hour, whilst she had the morning to herself, her next shift in Chinatown not until the afternoon.

"What the hell is this?" she asked, staring at the plant. It resembled the cacti she'd seen in the old cartoons she used to watch with her father when she was very young, something about a glorified chicken and a coyote too stupid to catch it. The cactus in front of her was like a column, with three branches coming out of it in L-bends, its dusty green skin covered with sharp spikes. What was most surprising about the plant though, was the bright pink flowers that crowned each branch. Her leopard, fascinated by the juxtaposition of dangerous spikes and delicate-looking bursts of colour, had her reaching out with a wondering hand. The tip of her index finger gently brushed over a petal.

Soft. So incredibly soft.

She turned to Kit in surprise, to see him sporting his customary shit-eating grin. "What?" she snapped, scowling at him.

"It's a cactus," he replied, his grin not diminishing in size despite her scowl deepening.

"I can see that, Kit- _ten_. What is it doing here?"

Unperturbed by the dig, he continued, "It's for you."

"What?"

"The cactus. It's for you."

She looked at him as if he'd gone crazy. "What?"

"You need coffee," he replied, heading towards the kitchen to switch on their machine. "You've been reduced to monosyllabic words."

"I'll reduce _you_ to monosyllabic words if you don't tell me what the fuck's going on."

Kit didn't even bat an eyelid. This was their normal. Rina may threaten to knock the teeth out of his skull on a semi-regular basis, but they both knew that she'd die before she'd let him come to harm. She knew that he was an adult leopard, a future alpha, strong enough to not need protection, but he was still her baby brother. The baby brother her father had left in _her_ care, despite the fact that she'd been barely old enough to look after herself.

"There was a note. Addressed to you."

"And you _read_ it?"

He came back to stand beside her, handing her a steaming cup of the strong black coffee. She took an automatic sip, but continued to glare up at her brother.

Kit's velvet blue eyes stared back with a distinct lack of concern, and not a small amount of amusement. "Duh. How else would I have known it was for you?" He nudged her then, his elbow gently pushing at her arm. "You didn't tell me you were seeing someone."

"Give me the note, Kit."

He simply blinked at her and took a sip of his own coffee, sweetened with about five spoons of sugar. "Not until you tell me who Felix is."

"He's no one," she snapped. "Give me the note."

"He must be someone, Reen. Strangers don't give you cactuses."

"Cacti."

"Whatever."

"Give me the note, before I embarrass you by tackling you to the ground and forcibly removing it from your person."

He snorted. "As if you could take me on, sis."

Rina narrowed her eyes at him. It was true that Kit was stronger than she was, but he wasn't alpha yet, and she had a couple of years of experience on him. Plus, she was highly motivated.

Sensing that she was quite serious about this, Kit sighed and pulled the note out from the waistband of his boxer briefs.

Rina wrinkled her nose. "Gross, Kit."

"Do you want it, or not?"

She snatched it out of his grasp and threw one more glare at him, before turning her back and unfolding the little card with one hand, the other wrapped around her mug.

Her mouth dropped open at the words inside:

 _For my prickly soldier._

 _Felix_

His prickly soldier, was she? The card crumpled in her hand at the burst of – something. One smile and he was gifting her cacti? The gall.

Kit sniggered from behind her.

She whipped around to face him. "What?" she hissed, her claws pricking the inside of her skin. She'd always had a little trouble with that.

"I don't think this Felix person knows what he's got himself into. You look like you want to make sheesh kebab out of him."

Rina's leopard growled in agreement. And she was going to use his ribs as skewers.

A cactus.

 _Really._


	3. Day 3

On the third day, Rina hunted Felix down. It wasn't that difficult. She had the feeling that Felix didn't know the meaning of the word _hide_ , submissive or not. She found him in the same place he'd been the first time she'd met him, staring at a bunch of plants.

As she watched him from the shadows, he knelt down to touch, no _caress_ , a budding leaf, with a gentleness of touch that had warmth spreading from her belly. His hands elegant, his fingers long, they were unexpected on a man of the earth. She imagined them to be the hands of a pianist, dancing across the keys.

Or the planes and valleys of her body.

She suppressed an aggravated growl at that unbidden thought just as he stood up and turned around to look right at her.

"Hiding, kitty?" he drawled, that slow grin tugging at the corners of those full lips.

She didn't bother to stop the growl that came from her throat this time, as she stepped into clearing, the warmth of the summer sun wrapping around her despite the dappled shade of the canopy overhead.

Something akin to fear skittered through his gaze before he averted it and Rina couldn't see into their dark depths anymore, hidden as they were under thick eyelashes. It was so unfair how some males had such beautiful eyelashes. They were completely wasted on them.

Rina smiled her own slow grin. Good. He should be scared of her. She'd hurt him in a heartbeat. "I don't hide," she replied, keeping the irritation she wanted to unleash on him for that provocative statement under tight control. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

His grin became somehow warmer, as if he knew exactly what she was doing. But that wasn't possible. She barely knew this man. "Then what were you doing lurking in the shadows?"

Instead of answering him, Rina looked at him intently. She knew she shouldn't be doing this; for all his teasing and grinning, he was a submissive, likely to bare his throat at the compulsion of his beast, no matter that she was a leopard and he was a wolf. Danger was danger, regardless of species. But she wanted to make him uncomfortable, as uncomfortable as his gift had made her.

"What the hell was that?" she spat out of nowhere.

His eyes widened in surprise. "Come again?"

"You know what."

"I do not."

She growled.

" _Rina._ " He ducked his head again, but he didn't back away. Instead, he did something that surprised her. He raised his hands in front of him, as if placating a gaggle of angry geese, and took a step towards her.

"The _plant_ , wolf. What the hell was the _plant_?" she said through gritted teeth, trying to get a grip on the unexpected burst of anger. She was better than this, a soldier. She wasn't like the Psy, who'd eschewed emotion to save them from madness, but all predatory changelings knew the value of controlling their feelings. The destruction of the Territorial Wars echoed across time, even centuries later.

"A cactus," Felix replied. He hadn't moved closer, a good three feet still separating them, but his face was softened in concern.

"I know _that_ ," she snapped. "Why was it on my kitchen table?"

Felix smiled then. "It's customary to give flowers during courtship."

The leopard growled low and deep, but Rina managed to keep the noise internal. Barely. Because neither animal nor woman liked the sound of that.

"Courtship?" she ground out.

Felix took another cautious step forward. "Yes, courtship."

"I don't remember ever agreeing to this, _wolf_." She made the word sound as dirty as possible. DarkRiver may have a blood bond with SnowDancer. Mercy and Riley may be mated. Inter-pack dating may even be becoming common.

But Rina Monahan was not ready for this. _Especially_ not with this man.

"You didn't say no, either," was his cool reply. Rina narrowed her eyes. His expression was as innocent as could be, but the devil danced in those dark eyes, in that voice, taunting her.

"You never asked."

Felix actually snorted. "Rina, I may be a submissive, but I'm still male. You don't carry another man's scent, so I can give you cacti if I like."

The leopard paused, uncertain. Rina knew the rules when it came to dominant males, she knew how to fight, and if need be, how to coax. She didn't even know where to begin with this, though. It wasn't in the nature of submissives to be aggressive, but neither were they pushovers. They were part of the beating heart of the pack, part of the core that Rina had sworn to protect.

"And if I don't want to be given cacti?" Rina asked, curious to see what this male would say.

"I have other plants," he shrugged and gave her a smile that thawed even her icy heart. "I thought the cactus was a good fit, though. They practically look after themselves, and the flowers are quite beautiful. They're tough, too." He paused and for the first time today, looked her right in the eye. "Seriously underestimated."

Inexplicably, Rina's heartrate picked up. She'd never thought that a submissive would describe her this way, as if her strength and independence was something that he actually _liked_ , made her more appealing. It made sense with the other dominants, but a submissive? She shook her head, breaking the searing eye contact. "I don't want other plants," she said, a little harsher than she intended. She was unsettled by all of this.

Felix's smile grew, warming his eyes in a way that made his already handsome face almost unbearably perfect. _Not fair_ , Rina thought. _So not fair_. "I'll stick to the cacti then."

"What are you doing, wolf?" she asked, her shoulders tensing.

His expression softened. "If you want me to stop, I will," he said quietly.

Rina growled again. Why was he being so understanding? Why wasn't he arguing, yelling, _fighting_?

She knew why. "This isn't going to work. We're too different."

"We haven't even tried."

"Don't need to."

"Scared, kitty?"

The leopard growled as she took a menacing step forward. "Say that again, _wolf_. I dare you."

He looked at her again for one quick instant, before looking away, but he didn't back off either, didn't cower and whimper in fear. No, Felix was made of sterner stuff than most expected of him. "I'm not the one running before even giving this a chance."

"There's nothing there," she dismissed.

"You don't know that."

She stared at him in shock. Why wasn't he seeing this? Their different pack membership notwithstanding, the disparity between their positions in the hierarchy was a yawning chasm. She huffed her frustration and looked away, glaring at a tree to the right of her, as if it was all its fault. The light bark of the pine tree stared back at her, as unfeeling as ever.

Stupid tree.

Unexpected warmth grazed her cheek. Surprised, she turned her head back towards Felix, inadvertently increasing the amount of contact. The distance between them had decreased to a bare two feet. His fingertips were a little rough. She didn't know why that surprised her, since he was so clearly a man who felt most at home amongst his cherished plants. The work would be hard on his hands, and he hardly seemed the type to moisturise.

But his touch was gentle, as gentle as the way he was looking down at her. He was maybe half a foot taller than her, tall enough that she could imagine tucking her head under his chin as they cuddled.

Why she was imagining them cuddling, she didn't want to think too much about.

"Rina," he said just as gently as he was touching her, looking at her, and it was too much.

"I have to go," she said abruptly, taking a swift step back and breaking the skin-to-skin contact. She felt the loss far deeper than she should have.

Felix nodded, letting his hand drop back to his side.

She took another step back.

"I'd better let you get back to your… whatever you're doing today," he said, the faint smile doing nothing to dampen the hurt he wasn't even bothering to hide. What even was with this guy?

She nodded, reigning in the need of the leopard – and the woman – to hug the hurt out of this man's eyes. But maybe this way he'd stop before it was too late for the both of them. Hurting him a little now would save the hurt he'd feel later on.

"Bye," she said, and quickly turned away, almost hurtling into the dark anonymity of the forest's shadows in her rush to get away.

* * *

Felix watched Rina go, and couldn't help the sigh of disappointment that escaped his lips. His wolf rested its head on its paws, wanting to howl at his mate to come back. But man and wolf knew it would take time to coax this prickly leopardess into his arms.

Where she belonged.

Because whilst she'd been pissed at him for courting her, angry at the way he wouldn't back off, she hadn't repudiated his claim outright. Hell, she'd completely ignored his question.

Felix grinned as he turned back to his work. It would take time, but his grumpy soldier would come to him.

Because she was his as much as he was hers.


	4. Day 4

On the fourth day, Felix asked Riaz for help.

They were friends – he'd helped Riaz with his courting, fully aware when the other man had all but stolen the Queen of the Night from him. It was a rare and precious thing, but so was love.

So perhaps, Riaz could help him with his own soldier problems.

Getting that cactus into Rina's house was quite possibly one of the bravest things he'd ever done. It wasn't in his nature to chase after a female who was so hostile, but he also understood that it was in _Rina's_ nature to run. She was a fiercely independent woman, and the level of vulnerability and trust that was part and parcel of the mating bond was something that would be difficult to accept. Just one of the many reasons that he hadn't informed her of the true nature of their relationship.

He'd had to ask Drew for help with the actual infiltration. A senior soldier who knew everything about everyone, Drew had somehow squirrelled out the location of the cabin Rina shared with her younger brother, Kit, and had even gone so far as to help Felix hide his scent at the scene of the crime. The task had been made all the more difficult since its need for completion at the dead of night.

At least he knew where she lived, now, and he supposed his newly learned breaking-and-entering skill set could come in handy in the future.

Felix took a deep breath before knocking on the door of Riaz's office. Riaz and Adria's bonding was still relatively new, and he wasn't particularly interested in finding the two of them in a compromising position, despite his rather unhealthy love for pack gossip. It wasn't the same when the person with whom you'd like to be caught in a compromising position wanted to bite your head off.

"It's open!" Riaz's deep voice called out.

Felix pushed the door open and stuck his head cautiously around the edge, still wary about finding the tall soldier with beautiful violet-blue eyes wrapped in the embrace of the lieutenant. But whilst he caught a faint whiff of her scent lingering in the space, the office was blessedly only occupied by Riaz himself.

"Do you have a moment?" Felix asked, not bothering to move from his position with his head between the door and its frame. "I could come by later if you're busy."

"Now's fine," Riaz said, waving him.

Felix walked in and flopped into one of the comfortable chairs in front of Riaz's desk. He sat there in silence for a few moments, aware that Riaz was watching him closely.

"I need your advice," Felix finally said, flicking his eyes quickly to Riaz and then away.

Riaz nodded, and leant his crossed forearms on his messy desk.

"How does one – theoretically, of course – court a soldier?" Felix's wolf paced the confines of his mind in agitation.

Riaz raised his eyebrows. "Theoretically?"

"For the most part, yes." Felix knew that he'd require a campaign to win Rina's heart. He had plenty of experience with women, some of them even dominants, but he had absolutely no idea how to coax a leopard as fierce as his mate.

Riaz grinned, his wolf's amusement apparent. "Who is she?"

Felix glanced up, "Not telling." He'd sworn Drew to secrecy, although he wasn't sure how long that would last, but he'd try and keep it quiet for now. No need to tip his hand before necessary.

"How can I possibly help if I don't know who she is?" Riaz asked, a smile full of mischief on his face. It seemed that even lone wolves were prone to the voracious need of their animals for gossip.

Felix narrowed his eyes. "You're an intelligent man, I'm sure you'll figure out a way."

"Is it someone in the pack?"

"Stop fishing, Riaz."

Riaz laughed, and put out his hands in a placating gesture. "Fine, fine! I won't pester… for now." He paused for a moment and looked across the desk at Felix. "An aggressive dominant female… you've got balls, Felix."

Felix didn't reply. He wasn't sure how long his courage would last if Rina didn't thaw soon. Good thing he was a stubborn bastard.

"She's very… resistant to the idea of a relationship right now," Felix said. It was probably the understatement of the decade.

"She doesn't know you," Riaz shrugged. "That'll take time and patience."

Felix nodded. He knew how to be patient – orchids didn't bloom overnight, after all.

"Show her who you are, what she means to you. But show her that you understand her as well."

Felix thought about what Riaz had said. "No one wants their wings clipped," he murmured.

Riaz nodded. "Dominant females, especially. The trick with the soldiers I've found," he grinned, and Felix had the distinct impression that Riaz was thinking about his Adria. "Is to look after them in a way that makes it seem like you're not looking after them at all."

All the things Riaz was saying made too much sense. They'd met only three days ago, and the bond that Felix wanted to forge between them was going to last a lifetime. Rina Monahan was his forever. She deserved a courtship that demonstrated what she meant to him.

"Thanks Riaz," Felix said, standing up.

Riaz grinned, "Keep me posted."

Felix snorted. "Like you won't be watching my every move from now on." Felix was certain that if Drew didn't already know, he'd have set his spies on him to find out who his mystery woman was the minute their conversation ended.

Riaz shrugged, unrepentant. "The trials and tribulations of pack life."

Felix laughed, and headed to the door.

He had some planning to do.


	5. Day 5

It had been four days since they'd first met, three since Rina had received a cactus, and two since she'd confronted Felix about it.

For some strange reason, Rina found herself tracking Felix's scent in the forest for the second time. She located him in a clearing close to the one where they'd first met. Once again, she watched him from the shadows as he looked at the vegetation in the area, periodically recording the information on his handheld data pad. Occasionally, he reached out to trail his fingers over the bark of a tree, or to rub the leaf of a bush between his thumb and forefinger.

The leopard rubbed against the inside of her skin in its need for touch. It really had been too long since she'd last indulged in sexual skin privileges. And ever since that stupid cactus appeared on her kitchen table, her touch hunger had been focused on a very specific wolf.

The leopard growled, confused at its own need, asking the woman for guidance. The woman, however, was just as lost. This man was _so_ not her type. Dominants were taught to be careful around the submissives; no one wanted to incite a response that was driven by the survival instincts of the animal, rather than the conscious decision of the human. Especially in bed.

Because if something like that ever happened to Rina, it would be devastating. If it happened between Rina and Felix, it would destroy her.

She didn't understand why it would be so much worse with Felix, but she knew instinctively that it would.

Her pulse thudded as she watched those broad shoulders move, the muscles of his back shift beneath the t-shirt he wore. She imagined what it would be like to wrap her legs around those lean hips, and whether or not he minded teeth and claws.

"Rina," Felix said, kneeling beside a giant tree, his back still towards her. How did he do that?

"I must be a horrible soldier if you always know where I am," she said conversationally, stepping into the clearing.

He turned around to face her, and looked her in the eye for a moment. "I'll always find you," he said, before returning to whatever he was doing beside the tree.

Completely miffed, Rina walked over on silent feet to stand beside Felix's kneeling form and stared down. He was collecting dirt.

"Making mud pies?" Rina asked, just a touch of a sneer creeping into her voice. Something about this man had her raising her hackles, which was completely ridiculous since Felix was clearly as gentle as a butterfly, strange gifts of cacti aside.

His sensuous lips curved into a smile. "I'm collecting samples. The records for this area of the forest are a little outdated. New data will help us ensure that everything in this ecosystem is as it should be."

Rina's shoulders dropped. Like any changeling, she loved the wild, the vast forests of Yosemite her home, one that she'd protect with every violent instinct inside her. But this, what Felix did, was what kept her home _alive_. Kind of like the role the submissives had in the pack. Without them, the dominants' aggression wouldn't have a focus; they wouldn't have anything worth protecting.

Blinking at the realisation, Rina paused. Her leopard growled its confusion at this man, but she ignored it for once, and did something that surprised even her. She sat down on the ground beside Felix, crossing her legs. The grass was springy under her legs, the shade of the tree providing cool relief from the high noon heat.

Felix only paused for half a moment in his work, throwing a quick glance in her direction, before continuing with his data collection.

She watched him for several minutes in silence, the quiet bustle of the forest the only sound. The slight breeze brought her the scent of Pack, fellow soldiers who were patrolling the area, as well as those roaming the forest. But all those things were in the background, her senses full of Felix.

Those pianist hands were labelling three or four collection tubes with practised precision, his fingers elegant as they moved the marker along the curved edge. His dark hair fell across his forehead as he bent his head. His boots were caked with mud, his jeans well-worn and dusty. And his smell, God, it intoxicated the leopard, made Rina want to nuzzle her face into his neck and breathe deep, maybe bite a little. Felix smelled of the earth, just after it rained, of coffee, and of lazy Sunday mornings.

"You don't have a shift today?" Felix asked suddenly.

Rina blinked at the sound of his voice. Soft and deep, it reached places inside her heart that she didn't think had even existed. "Midnight to six," she replied. She was technically supposed to be using this time to study, completing an assignment that was due next week.

All soldiers were required to have a secondary qualification, and with her schedule, she'd elected to do her training through a course that was mostly online. She went and visited her supervising professor on campus about every two weeks, but the rest was completed through the university's portal. She'd always been good at numbers in school, so she'd thought that actuarial science would be a good fit. The realm of risk management was so completely different from that of a DarkRiver soldier, yet similar in many ways, calling on Rina's understanding of economics and human behaviour, as well as statistical analyses. It was challenging, and she still had a long way to go in terms of accreditation, but she was surprised at how much she was enjoying it.

Felix nodded, moving to sit cross-legged in front of her. He packed away his samples into a box, laying the data pad on top of the closed lid once he was done. Rina watched as those beautiful, long fingers reached over to his pack, efficiently tugging at the straps to release them. He pulled out two bottles of water, and passed one over to her, with another moment of blazing eye contact.

Rina's leopard was oddly charmed by the move. It was hardly romantic, but she was strangely touched by the way that he hadn't even paused to think about it. But the eye contact, or lack thereof, was a problem. She knew it was a compulsion, his beast not wanting to aggravate a stronger predator, just in case the eye contact was mistaken for an invitation to rip out its jugular.

Rina was hardly likely to do that, no matter how pissed she'd been at the whole cactus thing. But she knew it would take time for Felix's wolf to trust her that way. Why she wanted this wolf to do so was beyond her, but the leopard saw things in far more black-and-white terms, so she didn't question it right now.

Murmuring her thanks, she took a long draw from the bottle, the water cool and sweet. Her eyes were closed, but she could feel Felix's eyes on her, almost feel the way they caressed her neck.

Her leopard bared its teeth as she opened her eyes again and put the bottle down beside her. Felix was holding his own bottle loosely in his grasp, his dark eyes tracing the path of her movements. She pulled her braid over her shoulder in a gesture of nervousness, the air between them humming with anticipation.

"I think the cactus is about to die," Rina blurted into the growing silence.

Felix's lips curved into a grin, his fingers unscrewing the cap on his water bottle. "Like I said, they're tough," he murmured. Rina felt prickly at the reminder of her outburst. She felt even pricklier at the way she'd run from the gentle graze of those work-roughened fingertips. "Difficult to kill."

Rina shook her head. "I don't know how to look after it." Kit had actually _laughed_ at her when he'd caught her scowling at the pot that was still perched on their kitchen table. She'd pushed it to the lesser-used side, but with no better place to put it, it had been sitting there, looking a bit forlorn despite its impressive spikes.

"Cacti are really easy to maintain," Felix said. "They need to be kept in a sunny place, but not where they'll get direct sunlight. And they only need watering when the soil goes dry."

Rina nodded, a small frown between her brows as she concentrated on Felix's instructions. "How do I know when the soil's dry?"

"The easiest way is to stick a pencil into it."

She raised her eyebrows. "A pencil?"

Felix nodded enthusiastically. "If it comes out and dirt is clinging to it, then the cactus doesn't need watering."

Rina was fascinated by this animated Felix. She'd seen him flirtatious, she'd seen him serious, and she'd seen him focused. But the way he lit up when he talked about plants was mesmerising to watch. The leopard wanted to keep watching his entire body become involved in the conversation, keep listening to the undertone of genuine excitement in his voice. So she asked him another question about the stupid cactus. "How much water do I give it? I mean, I don't want to accidentally drown it." God that would be the worst, if she killed a plant by loving it _too_ much.

"Water it until it starts to drain out of the holes at the bottom of the pot, but make sure you tip out any excess from the drainage tray. And don't get any water on the flowers or the stalks. It won't like that."

"Sunlight, pencil, drainage. Got it. Anything else?" Rina smiled, enjoying herself.

Felix returned her smile with a grin of his own, acknowledging the little tease. "You have to feed it once a month with a tomato fertiliser mixed into the water – except in the winter. Oh, and prune the flowers once they die."

"Tomato fertiliser for a cactus?"

Felix shrugged, "They're not particularly fussy." He grinned as if cacti were like mischievous cubs who trampled through your grandmother's flowerbeds. A little odd, but still completely loveable.

Sort of like Felix himself.

"You're right," Rina mused. "That's not too hard. Even I can handle that."

"Oh, I think you could handle almost anything, Rina," Felix said quietly, mischief in those eyes, which were the colour of dark chocolate. She absently wondered what colour they became when he went wolf.

" _Almost_ anything?" she replied, arching an imperious eyebrow.

"Yes," he said, his grin becoming deeper, showing her a flash of a lean dimple in his left cheek.

Oh God, she was a sucker for dimples.

He stood up then, shoving the water bottle, data pad, and collection box into his pack, before swinging it over one shoulder. "I have to get to another site," he said.

"Oh," Rina stood up as well, oddly disappointed that their time together was coming to an end. "Okay."

"I'll see you soon, Rina." There was something in his voice that had her eyes snapping to his. The contact between them was longer, the longest it had ever been to date, and that hum of anticipation was back in the air. Her pulse raced, and she knew Felix felt the same thing, because she heard the sound of his heartbeat pick up, too. "I haven't given up, you know," he murmured.

"I know," Rina replied just as softly. Predatory changeling men weren't so easily scared off, especially when they'd decided to court. "But –"

"It'll work." Grim determination, and a stubbornness that had her leopard growling its approval. This male might be worth the risk.

Before she could stop herself, Rina's hand reached for his. His skin was warm, his palm deliciously rough. His grasp was as gentle and determined as the man about whom she was beginning to learn. He gave her hand a squeeze.

"Bye, Rina," he grinned, and walked backwards into the darkness of the trees beyond.

She watched him go, watched for as long as she could see him. It was a significant amount of time, since he did nothing to hide his presence.

"Bye, Felix," she whispered into the air, imagining the way his dark chocolate eyes would dance with warmth if he heard her.


	6. Day 6

"Your boyfriend has been at it again."

Those were the first words that greeted her when she entered the cabin the morning after her time in the forest with Felix. She sighed. All she wanted to do was take a shower, and then a nap before she had to be at the Pack Circle to meet with Dorian and the other soldiers for training.

"Kit, I don't have the energy for your trash talk right now," she growled.

Her younger brother grinned at her unrepentantly as they both headed to the kitchen. It seemed as if he'd just returned from an early morning run, since he was wearing only a pair of low-slung jeans. "And pull your pants up," she muttered.

"So you gonna tell me who Felix is, or am I going to have to go hunt this guy down myself?"

"He's no one." She didn't know why she was keeping it a secret, this thing that was slowly growing between the two of them. She wanted a little time to savour it, she supposed, waiting until it bloomed into something strong and beautiful.

Hell, she'd already started using plant language.

"So why is he sneaking cactus-care supplies onto our kitchen table?"

That made Rina pause. "What?"

Kit's grin only grew wider as he gestured to the table. Rina walked over to see what the damn wolf had left her now.

Next to the cactus lay a small metal tub, with a brightly coloured ribbon tied into a bow around it. Inside the tub was a watering can the perfect size for watering her cactus, a container of fertiliser, small pruning shears, and a pair of gardening gloves.

She ran her hand wonderingly over the ribbon, amazed at the thoughtfulness of this gift. "How is he even getting in here?" she wondered aloud.

Kit shrugged, "He's very good. No signs of breaking and entering. No scent. I'm impressed, although I am a little concerned that you may be dating a cat burglar." He sniggered at his own pun.

Rina shoved him in the arm, as her fingers found a note tucked in between the ribbon and the tub.

 _For my cactus caretaker –_

 _A cactus-care kit – including the ever-important pencil._

 _Felix_

"But he's given you tomato fertiliser," Kit frowned. "It's a cactus."

"They're not particularly fussy," Rina murmured. Her eyes stared a little dreamily at the cactus, the bright pink flowers still proudly crowning the four stalks. Her heart was melting for this submissive wolf, the one with a gentle touch and a sharp sense of humour.

"He's a wolf, isn't he?" Kit said suddenly, breaking through Rina's dreamy haze.

She mentally shook herself. She wasn't like this, the type to sigh and simper over a man. "What?"

"They give gifts during courtship. He's a wolf," his voice grew in confidence, his eyes gleaming with laughter. "Oh, my God, Rina! A wolf? Seriously?"

"Shut up, Kitten," she muttered, shoving him in the arm again.

But it was too late. Kit was laughing outright now. "You're being courted by a wolf! I didn't realise you were so desperate."

Rina slashed towards him, her claws aiming for his chest. Four neat lines appeared across Kit's bare chest before he could move out of the way. They were shallow, barely breaking the first layer of skin, but blood still seeped out of them in thin lines. And still he laughed.

" _Kit_ ," Rina growled, her eyes shifting to the green-gold of the cat.

"Okay, okay!" Kit raised his hands in surrender. "But come on, Reen. A wolf?"

"It's nothing," she muttered.

Kit snorted. "You told him that? Or yourself? You're practically blushing." This was a blatant lie, since Rina did not blush, under any circumstances.

"Talk about this to anyone, Kit, and you'll be explaining to all the girls how half your face was clawed off."

Kit shrugged, unaffected by the admittedly rather empty threat. "Chicks dig scars. But," at Rina's warning growl, he added, "I'll keep my mouth shut. For now."

Rina narrowed her eyes at him.

"Pinky swear," he said solemnly, although his eyes continued to dance with laughter.

She slowly relaxed her muscles, and returned her attention to the cactus and her new care kit. She couldn't worry about Kit and his blabbing mouth right now – she had a cactus to look after.


	7. Day 7

Rina didn't understand how this kept happening. One minute, she was driving one of the pack's SUVs back home after swapping off shift in the Chinatown district, the next she'd caught the barest hint of rain-soaked earth and coffee through her window, and she was careening down a narrow alleyway towards it. She hoped no one appeared from ahead – it was a one-way street, and she was driving down it the wrong way.

Her leopard was rubbing up inside her skin, wanting to chase down the man who had both sides of her nature so confused. She simultaneously wanted to claw that gorgeous grin off his face, and sex his brains out.

The latter need was admittedly much stronger, since the idea of clawing a soul as gentle as Felix's was akin to kicking a puppy. A feral grin pulled her lips as she thought about how much more fun it would be clawing Felix in a far more intimate setting. If only his wolf didn't bare its throat in submission.

Because the truth was, they'd only touched twice. Rina hardly even counted them as touches since they'd lasted a grand total of ten milliseconds, but she knew that if they wanted to give what was between the two of them a go – a _real_ go – they'd need to figure this out. They were changeling. Touch was as natural as breathing. And the kind of skin privileges Rina craved required a level of trust that she didn't think Felix was ready for yet, because trust was everything. She knew it was possible. Couples where the disparities between positions in hierarchies were so huge did exist, although they were rare. And those where it was the _female_ who was the dominant one… well, they were rarer still. But possible. Everything was possible.

With that thought, Rina pulled up outside a smallish warehouse close to the docks, where Felix's scent was the strongest. She wrinkled her nose at the strong fishy smell that was emanating from the place. What on earth was he doing there? Without thinking about how weird it was to just show up wherever Felix went, Rina stepped out of the SUV and slammed the door shut.

Looking around the place, her mind automatically assessed it for any possible security risks. It was an exercise that Cian had taught the novice soldiers, and was one that Rina still practised in every new environment. It was not only a good way to keep your skills sharp, but also a good way to stay alive.

No obvious threat found, Rina walked to the open entrance of the small office that was located just in front of the warehouse. Felix's scent trail led to there, so he was probably still inside.

Her boots didn't make a sound as she entered the building, her tread cat-quiet across the industrial carpet. It was a small space – a room, really, where it was clear that all administrative documents for whatever business this was were kept. Felix was standing near the far end of the room, his back facing her, but she could clearly see to whom he was speaking.

The woman had dark hair pulled back into a messy bun, an old flannel shirt thrown over a tank, and old jeans and boots on. Rina wouldn't have normally reacted to this woman; she carried no obvious weapons, and from her scent, she was human, not changeling or Psy. Older than Rina, maybe around Felix's age, her face was open and friendly. No, what had her leopard growling deep and low was the fact that this _woman_ was laughing and – oh, God – _did she just touch Felix's arm?_

At that exact moment, Felix broke away from his apparently _delightful_ conversation, and turned around to see Rina. No hint of surprise, just the usual moment of shocking eye contact, and a smile that had her heart melting and fingertips tingling. He raised two of his fingers, and Rina nodded in understanding, shifting her stance so she leant against the wall. Felix wouldn't be long.

Rina tried to school her features into something close to neutral. She didn't want Felix thinking that she was some sort of jealous person, likely to go into a fit of rage every time he so much as blinked at another woman. Both leopard and woman were possessive, yes, but like she enjoyed her freedom and wanted her partner to trust her to be faithful, she knew it was only fair to give the same to another. Besides, she and Felix weren't actually… together. They'd only met a week ago. Touched twice.

Right. And Rina had only fantasised about petting that beautiful body about three million times since then. She'd almost drowned the cactus yesterday, lost in the most sinful of daydreams as she was watering it.

The woman to whom Felix was speaking glanced over his shoulder at her. Rina narrowed her eyes, but refrained from baring her teeth, like the leopard wanted to do. If she listened to the leopard right now, Felix would be pinned to the ground and they'd be ripping off each other's clothes. Perhaps not the best course of action in the middle of a warehouse office that smelt overwhelmingly of fish guts.

Felix finished up then. From the woman's smile and faint blush, it appeared that he'd unleashed that devastating grin of his. Did this man go around making every women he met fall a little bit in love with him? She'd thought…

But it didn't matter. She wasn't in love with Felix.

No, just mildly obsessed, tracking him through forests and halfway across Chinatown for absolutely no other reason than she'd caught his scent.

"Hey," he said quietly upon reaching her position against the wall near the entrance. She let him reach for her hand, which he took, squeezed for a painfully exquisite moment, and then released. Three, now. They'd touched three times.

"Hey, yourself," she replied, unable to help the quirk of her lips at his adorable grin. God, this man was beautiful. But he wasn't beautiful in a cold way. No, she wanted to pet him for long hours, be petted in return. Before he could ask what she was doing here, Rina asked him. "What are you doing here?"

"This place is one of my wholesale fertiliser suppliers. I needed to come in to check something about an order I'd recently placed."

Rina frowned. It seemed like something that could quite easily be achieved over the comms. But then again, women in flannel shirts couldn't very well touch Felix's arms over the comms. Rina could hardly blame her – they were incredible arms, lean and strong. "I… see."

Felix laughed. "I know it's a bit weird coming down all this way, but I had a couple of other errands to run in the city, so I thought why not." He shrugged, those broad shoulders rising and falling. Rina saw the woman watching the action. Her lips firmed, and she gritted her teeth in an effort to contain a growl, but the woman seemed to get the message. She quickly turned away and busied herself at the computer on the nearby desk. Smart woman.

"Let's talk outside," Rina said abruptly, heading for the exit. The quicker she got Felix away from this woman, the better it would be.

 _Don't be jealous, don't be jealous_. She chanted all the way to where she'd parked the SUV. Leaning against the hood, she turned back towards Felix, and scowled at the expression on his face.

"What?" she snapped, her temper beginning to fray at the effort it was taking her to not grab Felix by the shirt, and haul him down to bite his neck – a mark no one would mistake. His lips were quirked in a way that made that dimple flash into being, and the way his eyes danced… she had the sinking feeling that Felix knew _exactly_ what was going through her head.

"Nothing. What are you doing here?" he echoed her earlier question, his expression becoming even more devilish. The leopard rumbled, but she answered the question as evenly as she could.

"I was just heading home, driving past the warehouse –" It had taken her almost thirty minutes to navigate the horrendous Chinatown traffic. "– When I thought I scented you –" She _knew_ she'd scented him. Never had she been more sure of a scent in her life. "– So I thought I'd stop. See what you were up to." She shrugged. It was the flimsiest excuse ever, but she desperately hoped that she hadn't betrayed how much she'd just _needed_ to be close to him. See what he was doing. Learn about his day-to-day activities.

 _Like some creepy stalker_. She grimaced at the thought.

But Felix – thank God – didn't seem to think so, or at least didn't _say_ he thought so. "It's a good thing you swung past. I had a packmate drop me off, so I need a ride. Do you mind?"

Rina shook her head, her leopard wanting to curl up around this man. "Hop in."

Felix gifted her with another breathtaking smile. "Thanks, Rina."

* * *

The ride back to den territory was one of the most excruciatingly pleasurable moments of Felix's life. They were over two hours away, and they spent the first in almost total silence. Rina threw him a bottle of water from the back seat once they got in, and he smiled his thanks.

She asked if he minded if she put the radio on, and he shook his head no, he didn't mind.

His wolf was used to the quiet, simply overjoyed at being so close to its mate. Her intoxicating scent was everywhere in the confined space, his lungs filled with Rina with every breath.

The wolf was practically prancing. Felix's courtship was going well. It still felt wary at this predator who could kill it with not much effort, but it also understood that she'd never do that. He was almost certain that his wolf would be more than ready to tangle with his leopard in the most intimate of ways by the time the mating dance kicked it, if the tension in the car was anything to go by.

And the mating dance _would_ kick in. He was certain of it. This was the third time Rina had come to him. That _meant_ something.

"I heard you modelled in college," Rina said into the silence. She glanced over at him quickly, but returned her eyes to the road.

She'd been doing her research, trying to learn more about him. Felix wanted to howl his joy at this development, but instead, he nodded, "Yup."

"But you don't model anymore." She was very steadfastly looking out the windscreen.

Felix couldn't help his grin. "Agencies tend not to want grubby gardeners modelling for them."

"Their loss," she murmured. It made his wolf preen. She finally looked at him, her eyes raking over his seated form in the same way she'd done that first day in the clearing.

The air between them was so electric with awareness, Felix was surprised lightning bolts weren't shooting out at them.

"What are you studying?" he asked. He knew that she was doing some further education on top of her undergraduate degree, but he didn't know what.

"Actuarial science," she said.

He frowned at her tone, his wolf raising its head. There was something a little defensive about it. "Rina?" he asked quietly.

She visibly made an effort to relax. "Sorry," she muttered. "I'm used to getting a little shit about it."

"From whom?" A growl built at the back of his throat. No one was allowed to hurt his mate. Submissives weren't usually aggressive, but they could be fierce when it came to protecting their own.

She shrugged and grinned in his direction, clearly sensing his anger on her behalf. "Relax, wolf. I can handle it."

"I know you can," he replied, knowing when to pet. And he'd never say no to petting his mate. "But why do you get shit for it?"

She shrugged again. "I guess it doesn't fit in with the image people have of me. The smart ones know to keep their mouths shut about it though."

"And the not so smart ones?"

The smile she gave him held a distinctly feral edge. "They _learn_ to keep their mouths shut."

His wolf huffed in amusement. No, his leopard wouldn't let things like that slide at all. It was probably a good way to keep her claws sharp.

Their conversation flowed on from there, fast losing the slight edge of awkwardness. They talked a little bit more about Rina's studies, and then what Felix did in college. They talked about his fruitful but short-lived modelling career. Rina told him about her training, and her brother. Felix told her about his younger sister, fifteen and already breaking hearts.

Rina laughed at that. "Just like her brother!"

Both man and wolf were so utterly captivated by the sound of Rina's laugh, that it took him a moment to gather his scattered thoughts. "What?" he grinned, his wolf preening once again.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh, don't pretend like you don't notice the way women look at you. That lady at the warehouse was practically undressing you with her eyes." Was it his touch-starved imagination, or did he catch just the slightest hint of a growl? He thought that she may have been jealous back at the warehouse, just a little, but he'd been watching her expressions closely, and nothing in them had betrayed that Rina wanted to rip Olivia limb from limb for touching her man. And it wasn't an exaggeration, either – dominant females could be just as violent in staking their claim as the males.

There was nothing between him and Olivia anymore, though. They'd shared intimate skin privileges in the past, gone on a couple of dates, but that had been over a year ago. Before all his sexual hunger had become so totally focused on the leopard sitting in the seat next to him, he hadn't shared skin privileges in three or four months. Not a long time, but Rina had his wolf scrabbling inside him to get closer, even as it remained wary of her dominance.

"There's only one woman I care about looking at me like that," he said softly. The wolf quivered at the words, unhappy with the level of vulnerability that exposed. This woman had the power to destroy him, and she didn't even have to touch him to do it.

Their eyes locked, and Felix held the contact for as long as he could, before his wolf made him wrench away.

Rina's eyes returned to the road, and they lapsed into silence. Felix glanced over to see her muscles tensed slightly, her grip on the steering wheel tighter than strictly necessary.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Not your fault," she said, but though she tried to hide it, he knew it bothered her that his wolf was too afraid to maintain such intimate contact for too long. That he could hold it for any amount of time but the barest second was an achievement.

"The wolf, it needs to be sure that you'd never take it as a challenge." He tried to explain, but it felt so inadequate. How could this woman even entertain the idea of his courtship? His wolf growled at the thought. No, he was a predatory changeling male, and he'd made up his mind. Rina Monahan would be his, as much as he was hers already.

She nodded. "I understand, Felix – I really do. It's just…" She sighed, twisting her grip on the steering wheel.

"I know." He reached out his left hand, and laid it gently on her thigh. Her muscles tensed for a moment under his touch, but then relaxed. He didn't move his hand, didn't make a move that would be unwelcome, not wanting to rush this in any way. He simply enjoyed the contact she was allowing, enjoyed the warmth of her skin, enjoyed feeling her so strong and alive under his palm.

They were close to the den now. "You can drop me off at the greenhouses," he said, removing his hand from her thigh.

* * *

Rina felt the loss of his touch acutely, the leopard lunging to the fore. She bit the inside of her cheek to try and control it, but she felt her claws pricking at the inside of her skin, wanting to break free. At least her eyes didn't go cat. That was _sure_ to reassure Felix's wolf that she wasn't about to rip out its throat. Not.

"Is that the next turn ahead?" she asked into the slowly growing awkward silence.

She caught Felix's nod in her peripheral vision. "Yes." His deep voice slid over her skin, wrapped itself around her senses in a sensual caress. This man was just too ridiculous to be real – it was one thing to be so amazingly attractive, but his _voice_ had to be sexy as hell, too?

She followed the dirt road that led up to one of the two greenhouses located just outside the White Zone, pulling up behind a truck that looked like it had entered a fight ring with a hippopotamus and lost.

Something had Rina unbuckling her seatbelt and sliding back her door along with Felix. She really should've stayed in the car. She wanted to get back home and talk to Dorian about an adjustment in her schedule. And Ashaya had probably baked a cake. And she'd promised to help Keenan with his math homework, though he probably asked to make her feel useful, he was _that_ intelligent.

"Does that thing even work?" she asked, nodding towards the truck.

"Hey! Don't talk about Lyla that way!" Felix's handsome face was sporting a mock-frown.

She raised an eyebrow. "You named your truck?"

"Lyla's more than a truck," he sniffed. The mischief dancing in his eyes invited her to share his fun.

Rina snorted. "Whatever you say, wolf boy."

Felix grinned.

They stood in front of Rina's SUV in silence, just looking at each other. Rina traced the planes and angles of his face, took in the sexily dishevelled hair. She wanted to nip at that long straight nose, lick at those generous lips.

He was looking at her with the same concentration, about a foot of distance between them. And when he opened his mouth to say something, Rina's control snapped.

He caught her as she practically slammed into his body, strong arms coming to wrap around her waist in a warm hold. Her own arms locked around his neck, and she went on tiptoes to reach his gorgeous lips. Her eyes fluttered shut at the first brush of their mouths. At the next brush, she pushed closer into his embrace and increased the pressure. She was gratified to hear the sharp intake of breath through his nose, feel the beat of his heart increase in pace against her front. Her tongue flicked at the seam of his lips.

He got the message. Rina felt his lips pull into a smile as he opened them for her. And then she was smiling. They stood there, in between his truck and her SUV, smiling and kissing, eyes closed, for moments stolen out of time. Nothing else mattered to her right then. Felix's arms were around her, his heart beat furiously against her own. And Felix's kiss was driving her halfway to insanity. Even in this, he was warm and so _giving_. A part of her brain that was still somehow functioning noted that she'd have to careful about that, to not take advantage of his generosity. And then, even that thought was lost.

Rina and Felix pulled apart after what could have been an eternity. She'd completely lost her sense of time, the sign of a mind-blowing kiss if there ever was one. They were still holding onto each other tight, so tight. She loosened her grip on his neck, returning her heels to the ground. Felix bent his head to follow, and their foreheads touched, resting against one other as they caught their breaths.

"Are you free tomorrow evening?" he asked after a few moments, his voice low and gravelly.

Rina pulled her head back, and both of them stood a little straighter. Felix's hold on her waist loosened, and she rested her hands on his shoulders.

His eyes had her leopard standing stock still in fascination: they'd gone wolf. The dark grey of gathering storm clouds, they faded back to dark chocolate in the next blink. "Yes," she said, her own voice a little hoarse. "Why?"

Felix smiled. "I want to take you out."

She blinked in surprise. "Like a… date?"

His smile grew deeper, his dimple making Rina want to do nothing more than kiss it and nuzzle into his neck. "Yes, like a date."

Rina thought about it for a moment. Too fast, things were moving too fast. But after that kiss… she'd be stupid to say that she didn't want him, didn't want to tumble headfirst down this rabbit hole with him, no matter where it led. She wasn't famous for thinking about the consequences. It was that that had her thinking _what the hell_ , and saying, "What should I wear?"

A ring of wolf grey appeared around his pupil at her words. She grinned and leant up to nip him on the lips. "Felix?"

Hands tightening on her waist, he grinned at her sensual tease. "Dress warm and comfortable, kitty. It'll be a little cold where we're going."

Her eyes widened in mock surprise. "Are you going to abduct me into the mountains, wolfie?"

He bent down and bumped her nose with his in wolfish affection. "Maybe," he murmured, his breath caressing her lips.

She gasped at his teasing, and pulled away. He let go immediately, his eyes full of laughter.

She tried to frown at him in admonition, but it was so difficult when her own leopard was so delighted with his playfulness. So, she raised her chin, and said, "Pick me up at eight."

She moved cat-quick towards her car, slipping into the seat and doing up her seatbelt. When she looked up again, Felix was standing at her open window, forearms braced against the frame. "See you tomorrow, kitty."

He stepped back from the SUV, and she started the engine. Felix watched as she backed up a little and made a U-turn, before heading back down the dirt road.

She watched him watch her for as long as she could in her rear view mirror, before he disappeared as she followed the bend in the track.

 _Tomorrow, wolf boy._


	8. Day 8

At half past seven the next evening, Rina found herself staring at her reflection in the floor-length mirror in her bedroom. The expression on the woman she saw had Rina feeling surprise. She was _nervous_. That was just ludicrous. Rina Monahan did not feel nervous about dates. Or men. Or wolves. Except, apparently, when the wolf in question was one who gifted cacti, and gave her a watering can, and asked her on dates where it might get a little cold.

Oh, and let's not forget the kissing. He was _really_ good at kissing.

Rina brushed her hands up and down the front of her thighs to soften the recently-washed denim as she daydreamed _once again_ about that mind-blowing kiss. She wanted to do it again.

And again.

And maybe one more time… before moving onto kissing and touching even more of Felix.

God, she had it _bad_.

She tugged the edge of her cashmere sweater. In a shade of royal blue, it was one of the most decadent items of clothing Rina owned. It was exquisitely soft against her skin, and warm enough for the evening. As a very happy bonus, it clung to every dip and flare of her torso. On her feet she was wearing her better pair of boots, those which weren't dusty or caked with mud. Felix had said comfortable, not slob. And she wanted to look good. It had been a long time since she'd been on a date.

Rina scented Felix the moment he stepped out of his vehicle. She bolted down the stairs, only slowing down as she neared her front door, tugging at the sleeves of her sweater in an unconscious display of nerves.

Felix had just reached the door when she swung it open. And just took the time to admire. He was freshly showered and shaved, the hair at the nape of his neck still a little damp. He was similarly dressed to her: clean boots, dark jeans, and a light sweater with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, exposing the strong, toned muscles of his forearms.

 _Bless this summer weather_ , Rina thought as she drunk in the sight of a Felix who'd put in the effort. Of course, it made him almost too handsome to bear, but the butterflies in her tummy seemed to suggest that her body didn't mind _that_ much.

"You're early," she said, the effect of her scowl ruined by the twitch of her lips.

Felix grinned, and Rina's stomach dropped to her boots. "I didn't want to be late, so I overestimated the time it would take to get here." His eyes had noted every single detail about her appearance already, and the leopard preened at the appreciative glint in his eyes.

"Since you've snuck in twice now, I imagine you'd have a pretty good understanding of the time it takes to get to my house," Rina drawled. She leaned her body on the edge of the doorjamb, and felt her leopard stretch at the way Felix followed her movements.

His eyes flicked to hers for long moments, and time stretched in the same way it had when they'd kissed. His smiled deepened, and he said, "You've got me. I was hoping you'd open the door in nothing but a towel, all hot and bothered."

An unattractive snort escaped her as inside, Rina reeled from the sensuous tease. Felix had never – how did he even –?

Chuckling at her reaction, Felix asked, "But you're all dressed." His eyelids lowered in a terrible yet incredibly adorable approximation of sadness. "Are you ready?"

Rina nodded. "Let me just grab my jacket." She turned around and walked over quickly to the kitchen table, and picked up the jacket she'd hung there earlier on the back of a chair. She barely resisted the urge to stroke the cactus pot in farewell, as she'd begun to do when no one was around. After all, she didn't want Felix to think that she'd come to _adore_ the plant he'd given her.

She ignored the growing feeling that if she weren't careful, she'd come to adore the submissive wolf himself.

* * *

The wolf rubbed up inside his skin, wanting to get as close as possible to its mate. Felix wanted the same. But he tried to control the urge as he slid into the driver's seat of his truck.

"How did your death trap even survive the trip down here?" Rina asked, clicking her seatbelt into place.

"Lola can survive anything," Felix said with not a little pride. He'd had his beloved truck since he'd been in college, the first thing he'd bought with his first ever modelling paycheck. Mechanics had never been his strong suit, but when it came to Lola, he was a man obsessed. No one else was even allowed to touch her without his explicit permission.

Rina smiled at him, and although it held a slightly mocking edge, her amusement was enough to have his wolf prancing. "Where are we going?" she asked, peering out of the windshield.

"Surprise," Felix replied.

She was so _hot_ when she scowled.

Felix was almost glad for his wolf's lingering fear of the leopardess sitting in the seat beside him. Otherwise they would've spent the rest of the evening on Rina's porch kissing… and almost certainly naked. It was as if her skin could barely contain her energy, her fire, her sexuality. Rina Monahan was so full of life, that Felix was just glad to be allowed to stand in the penumbra.

Like that kiss yesterday. A kiss like that gave a man _ideas_. He had no doubt that Rina would be as passionate and bossy in bed as she was otherwise. He couldn't wait.

His wolf, on the other hand, was still convinced that she'd rip out his jugular.

He did hope she bit, though, just a little. He liked his kitty with sharp claws and pointy teeth included.

"What were you up to today?" Felix asked, wanting to know everything about Rina. He planned to spend the rest of his life with this woman, so he figured he better start learning about her day-to-day activities.

She shrugged. "Nothing special. Training in the morning, then I was babysitting a few of the cubs at Tammy's." Her mouth curved into a small smile that Felix could tell was unconscious at the memory of those cubs. "And then I hit the books. And then I had more training."

Felix frowned in thought. "I didn't realise they worked you so hard."

Rina laughed. "It's not so bad. I've only been a full soldier for two years, and all the work keeps us too busy to get too cocky."

"It doesn't leave much time to yourself."

She looked at him sideways. "I'm sure I could find the time if I were properly motivated." His wolf sat up straight at the flirtation in her voice, the air in the truck becoming heavy with anticipation.

Felix's lips quirked upwards. "I'm sure I could find you the proper motivation."

Her eyes widened a little in surprise, as if she were expecting him to blush at her invitation to flirt. It made his wolf bare its teeth. Felix would never pass up the opportunity to flirt with Rina. From what he'd gathered, and her description of her day, his prickly soldier didn't get much time to play. And he wanted to play very much with this leopard.

"Is that so, wolf?" she murmured, her voice edged with a purr.

He nodded, schooling his expression into one of solemnity. "It may even make you purr."

She raised an eyebrow at that. "That sounded like a challenge."

"It was."

"You seriously think you could make me purr?"

"I don't think – I know." Felix couldn't help the smugness in his voice. He may not be a dominant male, but he took great pride in his ability to please his lovers. And Rina was his _mate_. He wanted to bring her pleasure. It wasn't just sexual – he wanted to make her laugh, relax.

Rina regarded him for a moment, her gaze as direct and assessing as he'd ever seen it. But then her features softened, and her lips curved into a provocative smile. "I'll believe it when I see it, wolf boy."

"Does the lady doubt my intentions?" Felix gasped with mock affront.

Rina laughed again, and Felix had the realisation that it was fast becoming his favourite sound.

* * *

"Close your eyes," Felix murmured sometime later.

Rina's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why?" They'd been driving through some heavily forested territory, the track winding its way higher and higher into the Sierra, the darkness becoming progressively deeper.

"I don't want the surprise ruined," he said with an easy smile as he brought the truck to a gentle stop right in the middle of the track.

"You're actually kidnapping me, aren't you?" she teased, as they both stepped out of the vehicle.

He shot her a devastating grin from across the bonnet of the truck before disappearing along its side. She turned to see him grab a basket made of a material that was durable and insulated, and a small pack, before coming to stand in front of her.

"Your eyes aren't closed," he murmured.

Instead of doing as he'd ordered – not asked – she raised an eyebrow. Rina had spent an entire week practising that manoeuver in the mirror when she was twelve. She liked to use it at every available opportunity. "A picnic?" she asked, instantly regretting the slight hint of a sneer. Usually, she wouldn't care, but this was _Felix_. She was learning that submissive did not equal pushover, but it was too bitchy, even for her, to sneer and snort at him right now. Especially since he'd been nothing but simply amazing, if she were being perfectly honest.

She was relieved to see that Felix didn't even blink at her tone, although she knew he must have heard it. She reached out and touched his arm in silent apology. Felix gave her a grin in return.

Unable to help her answering smile, she let her fingertips glide softly down his bare forearm, until they reached his large, warm hand. For a moment, she let her hand rest on his, before taking the basket from his grasp.

"So?" she asked, raising her eyebrow once again. "Where is your evil lair?"

Rina clutched her fingers tight around the handle of the basket at the appearance of that blasted dimple. "You still haven't closed your eyes," he said as he started walking forward. Rina fell into step beside him, the track wide enough as they followed it further into the trees. It petered out into the lush darkness of forest a few minutes later, but Felix didn't slow his pace, didn't waver in their course.

The leopard sat up straight, as curious as the woman. When Felix stopped, so did she. Then, unexpectedly, Felix asked, "Do you trust me?"

Rina blinked. "What sort of question is that?"

Felix didn't budge, his eyes locking with hers. She wondered if she'd ever get used to that fizz of electricity. She found that she didn't really want to.

Rina sighed. "Depends on what you're asking."

Felix smiled, although there was something in his eyes that gave her pause, made the leopard pace in confusion. It was almost as if she'd said the wrong thing… failed some sort of test.

Without a word, Felix stepped behind her. The muscles of her back tensed, her senses, already so fine-tuned to his presence, went into hyper drive as she felt his heat along the length of her spine.

But she didn't turn around, didn't even twist her neck to look back at him. Rationally, it was because she knew that no matter what he did, she was tougher and faster than him, certain of her superior strength as a dominant that she'd be able to take him down if needed. But the wild heart of the leopard knew why she allowed him in a position that made her so vulnerable. She _did_ trust him, more than she should, but there it was.

Those warm hands ran up her arms in a soft caress that she felt even through her sweater. She was going to have very steamy and very detailed dreams about those hands for days, she was sure. They rested on her shoulders for half a second before coming to rest lightly over her eyes.

She wasn't sure if her sharp intake of breath was at Felix's audacity, or the sensual seduction of his breath against her ear. "Is this alright?" he murmured. She suppressed a shudder at the tickling sensation.

She nodded once, and then stilled, waiting to see what he'd do next.

He moved even closer to her; there was no distance between them now, her back against his front. At his next step, she moved forward too. She let him lead her through the forest, her eyes closed, her leopard drowning in his scent, and the sound of… was that a _waterfall_?

 _Yup, definitely a waterfall_ , she thought as they both stopped. She could feel the air heavy with suspended vapour. "Felix?" she asked, her voice barely loud enough to hear over the whooshing of the water. But they were changeling, and he was standing right behind her.

In answer, he took his hands away from her eyes, and she felt him take a step away, her back feeling colder at the loss of his body heat.

Her eyes widened, and she breathed sharply through her nose in surprise. Felix had brought her to a small clearing. The trees through which they'd just walked formed a deep crescent around the springy grass. The waterfall was small, especially compared to some of the others in the Sierra, but was no less spectacular. It tumbled down the steep rock face to her left, where even the trees couldn't grow, before collecting in a small, but deep pool. The water from the pool flowed into a fast stream that she knew would be a torrent during spring, when the snows from the higher elevations melted. But even now in the height of summer, the stream fell over the cliff edge they both faced at the far end of the clearing in sheer abandon, its path cutting a deep groove across the grass to exit almost dead centre of the clearing.

"Felix… this is…" Rina turned around to face him, her eyes still filled with wonder at the beauty he'd shown her.

"You like it?" he asked. Rina's heart melted just a little more at the vulnerability he let her see in his eyes. She somehow knew that it was deliberate, another gift from this submissive wolf, even more precious than the treasure of this meadow. It was a gift to which Rina was holding tight, and never letting go. It was hers, now. She wasn't good at sharing.

"It's beautiful here," she murmured, stepping closer to him, closing the small distance he'd put between them. Just a little closer, and her breasts would brush against that gorgeous chest with every inhale.

Felix gave her another gift, one of his devastating smiles lighting up his face. The leopard wanted to taste that smile, wanted to lick and bite until it was a part of her. "I found this place when I was a juvenile." He swung the pack off his back, unzipped it, and pulled out a picnic blanket.

After putting down the picnic basket, Rina took one end of the blanket once he shook it out and helped him lay it over the grass. It was a sweet gesture, one she recognised as Felix's way of ensuring her comfort. Neither beast nor woman minded sitting on the grass, the blades long, their colour a deep green despite the heat of the summer days. She supposed that the waterfall and stream kept the plants here well hydrated. "This place is special to you."

Felix shrugged and grinned. There was something about the curve of his lips that had the leopard crouching, and her eyes narrowing.

"What? Did you bring your first girlfriend out here to make out?" she teased. She tried desperately to ignore the inexplicable stab of jealousy at the thought of that faceless, long-ago girl. _Of course_ Felix had had girlfriends and lovers in the past – as had she. They were both young, healthy predatory changelings, with all the visceral needs for touch and intimacy that were part and parcel of that. And yet the thought of another woman's hands on Felix's body had the leopard growling and itching to gouge out someone's eyes with its claws.

Felix laughed at her semi-serious tease, but his cheeks flushed with colour under his deep tan. Rina reined in her leopard so hard and fast, that it snarled. But it was necessary – that would just be perfect, her beast terrifying Felix's wolf into a visceral act of submission because she'd let petty jealousy mess with her head. "Nothing like that," he replied, reaching over to open the basket. "You're the only person I've ever brought here," he added.

She didn't miss that he avoided her eyes, pretending to be completely and utterly engrossed in the task of unpacking the picnic basket. "Oh, I bet you say that to all the girls," she continued to tease.

"I do not!" Felix replied with mock affront, shooting her the most adorable pout. Those sexy hands of his moved with an efficiency that had heat pooling low in her abdomen. She'd never thought that practicality would be such a turn-on for her. He'd pulled out several containers, along with plates, cutlery, and two champagne flutes.

"Champagne?" Rina asked, reaching over to take a look inside the basket herself. Her fingertips brushed over his, and she rested them there as she peeked inside. "You spoil me." She reluctantly moved her right hand away from his and reached inside the basket, pulling out the last item.

Another smile, and another peek at that sexy dimple. "Open it," he said.

"You haven't distracted me, you know," she said as she tore off the foil and started to untwist the wire cage off the top of the bottle. "You blushed before when you were about to tell me why this place was so special."

Felix shrugged again. "It's nothing, really."

"Tell me." She paused and looked at him, her thumb poised to pop the cork off.

"It's stupid," he muttered.

Rina was so surprised by this statement, that she let him take the bottle from her hands. "You have to tell me now!" She watched as he took the cork out with a quick, efficient twist.

He avoided her gaze again as he picked up a glass and poured out the champagne. Rina reached for the container lying closest to her and opened the lid. The scent of smoked chicken and peaches wafted out of it. Her mouth watered, and she looked down to see that it was a salad, and also included macadamias. Rina had an inexplicable weakness for macadamias.

She reached for another container, and almost moaned. "Watermelon and mango… _salsa_? Felix, this is the most genius thing ever to be invented in the history of salsas."

Felix smiled smugly. "I try."

"Now tell me your embarrassing story."

* * *

Felix's heart sank a little at that autocratic order. He really didn't want to tell her why he loved this place so much. The story wasn't particularly personal, just ridiculously embarrassing. "Bossy," he admonished, watching her with avid fascination.

Rina was eyeing the two containers she'd just opened with an open hunger that made his body tighten in anticipation. If she looked at him with only half that much need…

"Spit it out, wolf boy," she tore her eyes away from the salsa and stared him dead on.

He held her gaze for as long as he could, his heartbeat accelerating at the sheer thrill of it, his soul drowning in the hazel depths of her eyes. But his wolf could only take so much, and with only a little warning, it made Felix wrench his eyes away. "Ugh, fine."

He raised his glass of champagne, and clinked it gently with the one Rina held, before taking a large sip. The bubbles that fizzed down his throat were nothing compared to the effervescence that raced through his veins at the sight of Rina's eager anticipation.

"When I was fifteen, I was roaming through the forest," he began.

Rina was clutching the stem of her flute tight, her eyes never leaving his face.

"And I stumbled across the waterfall." He indicated the waterfall that was to his right, as if it weren't blindingly obvious already to which one he referred. "It was spring then, so it was a lot bigger than it is now." The snowmelt swelled the flow until it made it seem a miracle that the rock wall behind it didn't collapse under the sheer weight.

"It must be something to see then," Rina murmured, taking another sip of her champagne. Felix fought the wild urge to taste it from her lips.

He nodded. "It's quite a sight. The creek there usually floods the banks."

"The poor plants." From the quirk of her lips, he could tell that she was teasing him again. The wolf wanted to howl because his mate was playing with him. "What did you do?"

"Well, since I was fifteen, I was obviously invincible." He spooned some salad and salsa onto a plate for her, and reached for another container, opening it to reveal red velvet cupcakes. He put one of those on the plate, too, before handing it to her.

She took it from him with a murmur of thanks, and placed it in her lap as she waited for him to finish his story.

"So I decided that it would be a fantastic idea if I jumped off the top of the waterfall."

Rina winced in sympathy.

"I was lucky that my foot got tangled in the plants at the bottom of the pool, otherwise they would've found me in splinters at the bottom of _that_ cliff," he indicated with his chin the drop that was in front of them, where the stream poured over the edge. "And let me assure you, it would've kissed my modelling career goodbye. Surprisingly, there's not much demand for individual body parts in the industry."

Rina laughed. "That's horrible! Were you okay?"

Felix shrugged. "I didn't think I was top shit anymore, and I twisted my ankle trying to get loose, but that was it." He'd been seriously lucky that day; if he hadn't become stuck the current would have taken him over the edge.

He watched Rina bite into the cupcake. A woman who ate dessert first was his kind of woman.

"It's also the day," Felix began to say. His eyes were transfixed by a smear of cream cheese icing on the tip of Rina's nose. It made her look adorable. "That I decided that plants were my true calling in life."

Rina raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Because a plant saved your sorry ass?"

Felix nodded solemnly, teasing her a little in return. "It was a sign."

"From whom?"

"The plant gods."

Felix allowed the stroke to his ego that was Rina's laugh. "Plant gods?"

"They saved my life. And now I'm forever in their debt."

Rina chuckled, and shook her head. "You're ridiculous."

The icing was still there. Urged by instinct, he leant across the small space, and licked it off the tip of her nose.

He had the satisfaction of seeing her eyes widen, her lips pull into a small smirk. He was riveted by that quirk, wanted to lick at it.

And so he did. And again.

She opened her mouth to him the second time, and then suddenly they were kissing. She tunnelled her fingers into his hair as he went to wrap his arms tight around her waist. The movement upset his balance, and they both toppled into the grass, Rina landing on her back with Felix sprawled over her.

And still they kept kissing. Slow, drugging kisses. Quick kisses, with flicks of tongue. Deep, desperate kisses, the taste of champagne, cream cheese icing, and Rina flooding his senses.

And then just as suddenly, he found himself flipped onto his back. He took the chance to try and get his breath back. Rina, too, did the same as she straddled his stomach, her knees bracketing his sides, and her hands against his chest, pushing her up straight. Her blonde hair was a wild tumble around her face, her cheeks flushed pink, her lips wet and kiss-bruised. He'd never seen anyone more beautiful.

He reached out a hand to cup her cheek.

She turned into his touch a little and nipped at it, her teeth grazing his skin in sensual affection.

"Rina." His voice was soft and complaining, and a little hoarse. "Why aren't we still making out?"

"We have to take it slow, Felix," her voice was calm, practical, in direct contrast to her thoroughly mussed appearance. "You know that."

His next words were tinged with a growl. "I was fine, Rina." And he _had_ been. The wolf had been just as anxious to get close to its mate as the human side of him, the gulf between their positions in the hierarchy momentarily forgotten. "We weren't done playing."

She gave him a smile that struck him as quintessentially feline, and bent her forearms so that she could brace herself closer to him. Her hair fell down around them, the soft strands tickling his face. "No, we're not, wolf boy," she murmured.

His hands went to her waist, slid across to her back, so that he could push her even closer to him. She moved her arms to around his head, her breasts touching his chest, their faces only inches apart. "I still have to make you purr."

That feline smile came back at his soft, sensual promise. "You do, but not right now. I'm hungry."

"So am I." He gave into the urge and nipped at her lower lip.

She jerked away with a surprised laugh. "Food, Felix!" Moving off him with a grace that was part of what made her a leopard changeling, she returned to their picnic blanket. "Before the champagne goes flat."

* * *

"Oh, my God! You have strawberries, too?" Rina moaned.

"Not just any strawberries," Felix said smugly. "I covered them in chocolate." Rina could feel his wolf's amusement at her as he topped up her glass of champagne. She ran a wondering fingertip along the edge of the round container, her mind filling with images of Felix sprawled in her bed, all big and naked, his dark eyes lidded in pleasure as she fed him chocolate-covered strawberries.

"Here," he said, picking one up with those pianist fingers and bringing it to her lips.

She opened her mouth and bit. Her eyes closed as the rich sweetness of the chocolate coated her tongue, the slight sourness of the strawberry cutting right through it, the perfect counterpoint. She moaned again in appreciation and held Felix's wrist with her left hand, just in case he decided he wanted to torment her by taking the rest of it away. Oh, she was definitely repaying the favour with that fantasy. Soon.

The strawberry gone, it was quickly replaced with the hard rim of her champagne flute pressing against her lip. She took a small sip before opening her eyes. "You're ruining me for other men."

Something dark and dangerous flitted through Felix's eyes at her words, making her leopard stand in attention. "Good," he growled. He _actually_ growled at her.

Instead of making her want to growl in return, she wanted to kiss him again, tumble them both back onto the grass and pick up right where they'd left off. But she knew they couldn't rush this. She felt his wolf's wariness, its cautiousness. It was sandpaper against her skin.

So they'd take it slow.

"Are you only good at cooking picnics, or other things as well?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood. Her leopard was already completely and utterly charmed that he'd cooked for her. She didn't think any of her past lovers had ever done that. She knew it was dangerous to feel such things, but it seemed as if the leopard had decided that this wolf was worth tangling with for now. And so she'd enjoy as much of his cooking as she possibly could.

"I make a mean risotto," Felix answered, taking a bite from his own strawberry. She took a big gulp of champagne to wet her suddenly dry throat. "And my samosas are pretty legendary."

"You make samosas _from scratch_?" she asked.

He shrugged, as if it were no big deal. "When I have the time."

Rina blinked at him, unease at her growing affection for this man lapping at her skin in prickly waves. She thought the cactus was bad. But the picnic had been… something else. And he knew how to make samosas from scratch. None of the other soldiers had warned her about the dangers possessed by a man who gifted tomato fertiliser, covered strawberries in chocolate, made exotic salsas, and seemed hell-bent on courting her despite her superior strength. It was so unfair.

"Hey," he said, leaning forward to rest his forehead against her own. When the disquiet inside her only grew, the leopard snarling in the confines of her mind, he shuffled a little closer, and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "We're taking things slow, remember? It'll be okay."

She didn't return his hug, but her muscles slowly relaxed, and she leant into him. Right. They were taking things slow.

Everything would be okay.

And then Felix smiled at her, his dimple creasing his cheek, and she almost believed him.

Almost.


	9. Day 9

_Thwack. Thwack. Thwack._

Rina pounded her fists into the punching bag again, and again, and again.

Right, left, right. Right, left, left. Right. Right. Left.

"Whose face are you imagining?" a male voice drawled from behind her.

She didn't miss a beat as she answered, "Yours."

"Ouch!" She didn't have to turn around to know that Dorian was wearing a terribly wounded expression, softened by that smirk that had women swooning ten blocks away. "I'm hurt, Rina."  
"I'm sure," Rina muttered, hitting the punching bag extra hard with a very satisfying _thump_.

Dorian's surfer-blond hair appeared around her left side, his tread cat-silent. He stopped to the front and right of her, and watched her with blue eyes that were as perceptive as they were pretty.

 _So unfair_ , Rina thought. Men who looked like Dorian didn't deserve pretty eyes on top of it all. She tried valiantly to ignore another pair of beautiful eyes that came unbidden to her mind. So dark, so intense. So…

 _Felix_.

The punch she threw this time had the sandbag swinging in a wide arc, veering in Dorian's direction.

"Are you trying to brain me, sweetheart?" Dorian asked mildly, easily sidestepping the careening punching bag.

Rina rolled her eyes as she stepped away from the still swinging bag, and began unwinding the cloth bandage around her left hand. Her usual boxing gloves, a gift from her father when she turned twelve, had finally given up their hold on life. The thin and supple black synth-leather had worn out across her palms, and was completely non-existent around the knuckles by the time she'd retired them last month. She knew she needed a new pair, but she couldn't find it in her to replace such a treasured gift.

"You're getting better at controlling your anger," Dorian remarked.

In the two years since Dorian had become in charge of busting her balls on a daily basis, Rina had learnt that his praise was an uncommon occurrence, only given when it had been truly achieved. For all their casual tone, the words warmed her heart, calmed the leopard.

"Thanks," she replied.

He threw her a bottle of water as she finished unwinding the second bandage.

"Cian mentioned that you've requested extra shifts," Dorian continued, still using that casual tone.

 _Oh no_ , she thought. _Here it comes._

Rina nodded. "I had some spare time this month," she shrugged.

"Which you could be using to study." The evenness of his voice didn't change, but the question was unmistakable. The leopard bristled, but Rina clenched her teeth against the urge to become defensive over this. It was nothing, really. Just a few extra patrols. A few extra chances to hone her skills, nothing wrong with that.

And if it gave her an excellent excuse not to see a certain wolf, then it was a happy bonus. Or at least, it _should_ be a happy bonus. Or not. Or maybe…

"Rina?" Dorian's voice broke through the same broken record that had been playing in her head since Felix had dropped her back at her cabin the night before. She'd spent a restless few hours tossing and turning in her bed, trying to find a comfortable position, but her skin itched with irritation and… something. She'd finally given up on sleep, and shifted, slipping out into the trees around her home, and lost herself to the simple joy of her paws pounding the rich earth in almost silence, the wind rippling through her coat, the complex symphony of the forest dancing in her blood.

She'd texted Cian her request just after dawn, having returned to the cabin with a little more peace in her heart than before. She'd spent enough time lately mooning over a silly boy, getting lost in his kisses, and sighing ridiculously at his every glance. Now was the time to focus on her training. She was a DarkRiver soldier, damn it.

"What?" Rina snapped, a little more forcefully than she'd intended. She surreptitiously released a slow breath through her nose. Ashaya had taught her a few techniques to try control her temper.

"Whatever it is you're trying to ignore, it won't go away by doing more patrols," Dorian continued in the same calm tone, a knife flipping across his hand like some sort of acrobat.

Rina shrugged, avoiding Dorian's rather unsubtle attempts to find out what was going on. "It's a little quiet at college at the moment. Thought I'd use the opportunity to focus on –" She faltered. Was soldiering a word? "Something else."

Dorian crossed his arms across his chest, his thin t-shirt pulling tight across the shoulders, his expression thoughtful. Rina gave a mental sigh. Yes, Dorian was a beautiful man but he just… didn't do it for her. Arguably, Felix was just as perfect, but there was a certain quality to the submissive wolf that made him seem more approachable, drew Rina's leopard in despite herself.

… Take right now, for example. He wasn't even _close_ to the DarkRiver building, and all Rina could think about was stroking all that warm, sun-caressed skin. Pathetic.

"You could have sex," Dorian's voice broke into her delicious fantasy.

A low growl built at the back of her throat, but she managed to simply raise her eyebrow and say, "Excuse me?"

Dorian's perceptive gaze kept her pinned in place, refusing her escape from the conversation. "When was the last time, Rina? I can feel your leopard's frustration."

Rina frowned. Okay, yes, it had been longer than usual since she'd indulged in intimate skin privileges, but it wasn't as if she'd had _time_. She wanted – needed – to be one of the best. The current political climate didn't allow young soldiers such as her the luxury of rookie mistakes. So yes, her sex life had taken a backseat to her training and studies for the past several months.

Until Felix, of course.

Rina shook herself, and headed over the side of the room where she'd thrown her gym bag. "It's not a concern."

Dorian strolled over and perched his perfect ass on the bench beside where she was crouching. "It _is_ a concern. You're messing with the juveniles and young unmated males."  
Rina scrunched her nose, but continued searching through her bag for… something. Anything. "What doesn't mess with the juveniles?"

Dorian shook his head. "Don't starve your leopard, Rina. It's not healthy for either of you."

Rina didn't reply. She slowly zipped up the bag, and sat herself down next to Dorian, taking an absentminded sip of the half-empty bottle of water. "It's… things are complicated… right now." That was putting it mildly. There was really only one person with whom both the leopard and the woman wanted to share those intimate skin privileges. But she was terrified that if she took her relationship any further with Felix, she'd be putting more at risk than she was willing. He was _courting_ her, for fuck's sake.

Dorian sighed. "So there _is_ someone."  
Rina's head whipped towards Dorian so fast, it was amazing she didn't strain a tendon. "What?" she screeched. Oh, that was _so_ calm and collected, wasn't it?

Dorian grinned. "Kit might have mentioned something. And then there's hints of someone's scent around you, too."

"Kit is going to die," Rina muttered, her left hand curling viciously around the edge of the wooden bench, her claws slicing out of her fingertips.

"So? Who is he?"  
"None of your damn business."  
Dorian shrugged, his shit-eating grin still in place. "Of course it's my business. We're Pack."

Rina couldn't help the grumpy _humph_ at his words. She knew that the nosiness came out of love, but she just didn't need this right now. "Well, try and make it less your business. For now." She knew that sooner or later, the jig would be up, but for right now, Felix was hers and hers alone. She didn't want to share.

"So I should tell Cian to deny your request for more shifts, yes?" Dorian's shit-eating grin was back.

"I hate you," Rina muttered.

"I know," he replied cheerily, getting up to leave. "Be good for Emmett this afternoon." Emmett was the senior soldier in charge of the security detail in the city this week.

Rina stuck out her tongue at his back as Dorian sauntered to the door.

"Oh, and Rina?" Dorian called out just before he left. "Invite us over for dinner once things become… less complicated between you and your wolf."  
Rina gaped at him, as Dorian gave her a wink.

The bastard was just a touch too fast to be hit by the water bottle that Rina threw at his head. His departing chuckle was quickly drowned out by thoughts about a certain submissive wolf, and if she _wanted_ things to become less complicated between them.

She ignored the fact that in all likelihood, she'd really have no choice.


	10. Day 10

"Have you been avoiding me, kitty?" Felix asked, stopping a few feet away from where his mate was currently leaning against a tree. Or draping – it was anyone's guess when it came to cats. They were on DarkRiver lands today, the leaves of the trees high above them, waving gently in the breeze. The heat of the warm summer day was more intense down here at the lower elevations.

Rina flicked her eyes towards Felix, then away. So. That's how she was playing it. His leopard soldier was feeling a little cranky.

"Don't flatter yourself, wolf," she said, her voice a slow, lazy drawl that did nothing to soften the bite in her words.

Okay, more than a little cranky, then.

Felix sighed, but didn't reply. Since she wasn't looking at him, he let his eyes roam over her curvaceous form. God, how he'd missed her, and it had only been a day since he'd seen her last.

Touched her last.

 _Kissed_ her last.

When the silence stretched uncomfortably long, Rina snapped, "What do you want?"

 _You. Always._ Felix shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels, trying to look as non-threatening as possible – not difficult for a wolf in his position in the hierarchy. His wolf paced, agitated; part of it wanted to tuck its tail between its legs and not incite the pissed-off dominant any further, the other, stronger part wanted to rub its fur against its mate to soothe her anger and confusion. "I want you to talk to me. What's wrong, kitty?" he said softly.

Her eyes finally snapped to his, and he just managed to hold his gaze against the leopard that looked at him. Green-gold eyes flashed, all feral and passionate. Felix let his own wolf surface to the fore, his eyes shifting.

 _I see you, Rina. And I'm not afraid_.

Felix hid a smile at this breakthrough. Yes, his wolf _did_ know that his mate, no matter how angry she was, would never hurt him – even though she hadn't quite figured out what they truly meant to each other.

"What are we doing, Felix?" Rina asked, when he didn't break eye contact.

Okay, maybe she _did_ know…

Felix shrugged. "I'm courting you, Rina. Thought that was obvious."

Rina's sensuous lips pressed into a firm line. "Felix. I'm serious."  
"So am I, Rina." Felix stepped closer, closing the distance between them. But it wasn't close enough, his leopard still denying him the intimacy he craved. "Do you doubt that? Doubt me?"  
Rina crossed her arms, practically shouting for him to not come any closer. "That's the fucking problem," she muttered.

Felix cocked his head, confused, waiting for her to explain.

Rina regarded him for a moment, her expression inexplicably softening for a flash, before hardening once again. The skin around her eyes was pulled taut, the muscles of her limbs thrumming with tension. "I don't really have time for something serious right now." The words were casual and sharp because of the flippant way she'd thrown them out. Her body hadn't relaxed one bit.

"So, you're scared," Felix said bluntly. Submissive he may be, but he'd never been one to sugar coat his words. It was part of the reason he'd been drawn to plants in the first place – they most certainly didn't judge you if you didn't know how to say a pretty turn of phrase.

Her eyes narrowed, and a soft growl coloured the air between them. "Watch it, wolf."

The wolf trembled, but Felix managed to hold his ground. He wasn't going down without a fight. Because he'd been waiting for her for a lifetime. "One date, and you're running away with your tail between your legs, Rina."

"Leopards don't do that!" she snapped, her arms unfolding and her hands balling into fists. "That's a canine thing!"

Felix waved his hand in the air. "Semantics, Rina. You know what I mean."

"You don't understand!" she threw her hands in the air, and then turned away from him, crossing her arms once again.

Felix dared to take another step closer. "What don't I understand, Rina?" he asked, his voice soft once more. All he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her, and nuzzle away all her fears, whisper that everything was going to be okay. All she had to do was _trust him_.

"It's – this – us – it's not easy for me."

Felix snorted. "And you think it's easy for me?"

Rina turned back around to face him, and glared.

"You could eat me for breakfast, Rina."  
"That's just it! I _could_ eat you for breakfast! And yet you _insist_ on continuing this ridiculous – thing!"

"You're worth it." That was about as close as he was going to get to admitting that she was his mate until the mating dance kicked in. He knew he had no hope of hiding what they really meant to each other if – _once_ – that happened. She was too smart not to figure it out.

Her shoulders dropped. "How can you be so sure?" she whispered.

He couldn't hold himself back anymore. He closed the distance between them in one swift stride, and wrapped his arms around her body. The wolf inside instantly calmed at the skin-to-skin contact, despite the fact that Rina didn't relax. But even she, stubborn, headstrong cat that she was, had to see, had to _feel_ , how well they fit. Her head tucked under his chin, her supple strength a delicious frisson against his front.

"I just am, Rina," he murmured, stroking the softness of her hair. The sun shone down through the canopy of the trees, revealing hidden hints of auburn glinting through the weave of her tight braid.

"I'm not," she muttered. Despite the bad-tempered words, her body finally, _finally_ relaxed, her arms coming to rest around his waist.

Her leopard, however, held itself aloof. So not quite a full victory, but progress all the same.

"I'm not giving up," Felix continued, his voice determined, for all he said the words softly. This moment was too special to mar with hardness. And to be honest, Felix just didn't have that hardness in him.

Rina sighed. "That's what scares me. You should. Before you get hurt."

Felix smiled, glad that Rina couldn't see it. No, both man and wolf knew the leopardess wouldn't do that.

"Kitty, I'm a predatory changeling. You know that's not how it works."

Rina huffed cantankerously, but kept herself tucked against him. Felix's smile widened.

"Plants are my life. Which means I know the value of patience."

Rina pulled her head away from him and scowled up at him. Her eyes had gone back to their usual pretty hazel. She looked ready to shoot lasers out of her eyeballs. "I am not a plant!"

Felix grinned. "No, you're not." His arms tightened around her, his hands moved up her back – even though he really wanted to move them _down_ – and tugged her closer. He leant down and brushed his lips against hers. Felix was gratified to hear her breath stutter, and her pulse pound. He pulled away though after just that brief brush of lips, and watched as Rina's dark gold eyelashes fluttered open to reveal that they were a jagged green-gold again. His wolf rumbled happily to have her leopard reaching out to him.

Felix could have stood there with Rina in his arms for an eternity, but unfortunately, she chose that moment to push at his chest. He noted that she didn't push all that hard – just firm enough to let him know to let go.

"I just need… some time," Rina muttered, her eyes flicking up to meet his once there was an entire foot of emptiness between them. She chewed her lip as she waited for him to answer, and Felix had to fight a stab of jealousy. _He_ wanted to nibble on that lip.

"Okay," he answered, reaching for her left hand. "You come to me when you're ready." He'd known before he'd started his courtship that he'd have to be persistent, but she had to come to him willingly. He had every faith she would.

He rubbed his thumb lightly over her knuckles, and frowned. Something wasn't right… he looked down at the back of her hand, and his frown deepened. Before Rina could snatch herself away, he grabbed her other hand too, and brought them closer. The skin over the knuckles of both her hands was the pink of newly healing skin, as if she'd grazed them recently.

"What happened here?" Felix asked, gently covering her hands with his own, much larger ones.

Rina tugged half-heartedly again, but not nearly hard enough to make Felix let go. He had no doubt that she was more than strong enough to do it.

"It's nothing," Rina muttered.

Felix raised his eyebrows. "Of course it's something, Rina. You're hurt."

She sighed. "I was boxing yesterday, that's all. I went a little hard."

"Don't you wear gloves?"

"I need new ones," her brow furrowed for a second, as if she were surprised that she'd said that.

Felix grinned slyly. "Haven't had the _time_ to get new ones, Rina?" He brought her left hand up to his mouth, brushing a gentle kiss over the healing hurts, before doing the same to her right hand. It was his way of letting her know he was only teasing. He knew she was a soldier, and that injuries such as these were everyday occurrences, but his mate needed to be more careful.

"Something like that," she said, this time pulling away and breaking all physical contact. She softened the blow a little by giving him a small smile.

Felix answered her smile with one of his own. "I'll see you soon, Rina."

With one lingering glance at his mate's face he turned around and headed deeper into the forest, not once looking back. But he could still feel her standing there, watching him leave.

He had a lot of planning to do if his leopard was going to walk back into his arms.


	11. Day 11

"Your boyfriend has been at it _again_." Rina had just stumbled down the stairs after another restless night to be greeted by Kit's deep voice, completely devoid of sleepiness. A quick glance showed him to be in his customary low-slung jeans and no-shirt-no-shoes post-morning-run attire.

"Coffee," Rina mumbled, ignoring her brother for the moment. Miracle of all miracles, she had the entire morning to herself, which she planned to use to touch base with one of her professors.

Kit sauntered over to the kitchen and started fiddling with the coffee-maker. She'd never admit it out loud, but it was downright adorable just how domestic her future-alpha baby brother could be.

Rina dropped into a chair at the kitchen table, next to her cactus. A quick glance over her shoulder confirmed that Kit wasn't watching her, so she snatched the opportunity to give the cactus her customary morning caress. When was the last time she'd watered it? Where was her pencil, damn it?

Kit placed the steaming mug in front of her, and slouched into a seat opposite. "Did you hear what I said?"

Rina took a sip of the coffee, letting the steam waft over her face. Did Felix like coffee? Or was he more of a tea person? Or maybe he preferred injecting caffeine straight into his femoral artery. Caffeine preferences. Another thing to add to the growing list of "Things to Learn about Felix". It was embarrassing just how long that list already was.

"Rina!" Kit again.

"What?" she snapped, leaning back into her chair.

"Your boyfriend. He was here. _Again_."

Rina narrowed her eyes. "He's not my boyfriend." An automatic answer at this point, but what else was she supposed to say? Oh, Felix? Yeah, he's my "it's complicated" person.

Kit just rolled his eyes. "Well, _whatever_ he is, he's left you another present."

That got her attention. She sat up straight, put her mug down on the table, and looked at Kit. "What did you do to it?" her voice was tinged with a growl, her leopard inexplicably pissed that someone – even her own baby brother – had dared touch something that Felix had given her. It was _theirs_. _He_ was theirs.

Kit just raised his eyebrows at her reaction, his bright blue eyes lighting with interest. "I haven't done anything to it," he replied evenly, taking a sip of his own coffee. "It's still lying next to the cactus." He nodded towards the far side of the pot.

Rina peered around the side and saw what she'd missed when she'd come downstairs in her sleep-addled stupor. A smallish rectangular box was lying on the table, its whiteness bright against the old wood of their dining table.

Rina reached for it slowly, almost as if she were afraid that if she touched it, it would disappear. The tips of her claws sliced out to tear away the bright yellow ribbon – including a neat bow on top – that was holding the box closed. She could feel Kit watching on with curiosity, but for now, she ignored him and focused on the box and the mystery it held inside.

She hesitated at opening it, scared for some reason. As quickly as the apprehensiveness had come upon her, she pushed it aside, and took a deep breath. The faintest scent of the earth after rain, and sweetness entered her lungs. _Felix_. She tucked away the smile that threatened to break out. She didn't need her brother thinking that she was being such a sap over some _boy_.

"Are you going to open it anytime this century?" Kit asked.

She looked across at him and scowled. "Shut up, Kit."

Rina lifted the lid off the box and let it drop to the table. What was inside had her holding her breath. How had he…?

"Are those…?" Kit asked. He leant across the table, to get a better look.

Rina quickly snatched the box to her chest.

Kit raised his eyebrows again. "You're a bit more possessive than usual," he remarked. Rina didn't relax and move the box away from her body until he finally raised his hands in defeat, and slumped back into his chair.

With reverent hands, Rina lifted the item out of where it sat in a few layers of tissue paper, and ran her fingertips over it, feeling the suppleness of the synth-leather.

It was a pair of boxing gloves, to replace her beloved, old pair. They were black, like them, but when she turned them over to look at the palms, they were a rich, bright purple. She couldn't help the small smile that escaped to touch her lips this time. She turned them back around and noticed that each glove had a little pocket sewn into them, where you could put round flat weighted discs. Boxing with the extra weight was a great way of building strength and endurance in your hands, an area of the body that was often overlooked when it came to training.

But Felix had remembered. It charmed her leopard. He respected her strength, wanted her to improve. And he didn't want her to get hurt either. In its own way, this gift was just as special to her as the one her father had given over a decade ago.

Rina gently placed the gloves onto the table. Kit leant over it again towards her, but stopped just short of touching. He looked at her, asking for permission. She hesitated, before nodding her head once.

As Kit picked up the gloves to get a look at them, Rina returned her attention to the box. She tipped it upside down, and sifted through the tissue paper, looking for a note.

There wasn't one. She was oddly disappointed by that.

Kit whistled his appreciation. "I have to say, your wolf knows his way around a good pair of boxing gloves. These are great."

He tossed them back to her, and she caught them with ease. "They are," she murmured. She picked up the tissue paper and wrapped it around the gloves. She couldn't wait to use them, but until then, she'd keep them safe and sound.

"Are you going to tell me who he is, now?"

Rina shook her head, and grinned. "Nope."

"Rina!" Kit whined.

Rina picked up her coffee mug again and took a satisfied sip.

"Why? I'm your brother! I have a right to know!"

Rina raised an eyebrow. True, he _did_ have a right to know, since it seemed that whilst Felix had agreed to give her some space, it didn't mean that he'd stopped courting her. Her leopard purred at the thought. But she didn't want to share Felix with Kit just yet – she needed to be sure that this was what she wanted, first. Cacti and boxing gloves did not a long-term relationship make. "But it's fun watching you like this," she replied to her brother, giving a shrug and a devilish grin.

Kit rolled his eyes at her, but said, "I'll find out who he is, one way or another. You can't hide him forever."

Rina agreed. But for now, this submissive wolf was all hers.


	12. Day 12

It had only been just over twenty-four hours since he'd seen Rina last, but it was driving both man and wolf insane. Felix sat in his office, staring at his desk, and tapping his fingers on its surface, trying to control the insane need to find the prickly, cranky leopardess, strip her bare, and lick every inch of that beautiful, beautiful skin. Twice.

His phone buzzed and with an irritated huff, he picked it up to see who it was. Olivia probably had his order of fertiliser ready by now, so it was most likely the warehouse letting him know that the delivery had been dispatched.

It wasn't.

 _Thank you for the gloves._

Felix smiled. It was Rina. She was thinking about him – or at least, his gift.

He quickly texted back. _You're welcome. Tell me how you find them :)_

Her reply came just a scant few moments later. _I'm planning to use them tonight, after my shift._ Felix's grin widened. God, she'd be so beautiful when she fought. All that strength, all that energy, focused on one goal. Magnificent. Another text came through: _I can't wait!_

Felix laughed. His wolf preened at the excellent choice. He hoped that she knew it meant that he cared about her, wanted her to be safe. Something about the way she'd spoken about those old gloves had led Felix to believe that they'd been special to her, so that _his_ pair had delighted her so was really the true gift.

 _I want to watch._ He chuckled as he imagined Rina's reaction to his double entendre. Would she gasp in outrage? Would she blush? Would she huff in exasperation and roll her eyes? Before she got a chance to reply, he added: _You'll have to show me how to box sometime._

Her reply was a few moments in arriving, as if she was carefully thinking about her reply. _I'll show you how to box. As well as other things, wolfie._

Felix laughed outright then. If someone were to walk into his greenhouse office right now, he was sure they'd think he was a lunatic. But falling in love was a sort of madness, too.

He quickly replied. _Can't wait. Xx_

He glanced over at his next gift, and wondered what her reaction would be. He needed to do a little more breaking and entering this afternoon to deliver the large box of dark chocolates that sat on his desk. The box was a royal blue, the chocolate inside the finest, smoothest, Belgian works of art. It was a bit of a risk, giving Rina dark chocolate; what if she preferred milk chocolate – or, horror of horrors, _white chocolate_? If the latter were the case, then he and Rina were going to have serious words about how the definition of chocolate implied actual cocoa content.

He leaned back in his chair, rocking on the back two legs, and daydreamed about Rina's reaction. She'd probably be a little mad at him for sneaking into her house _again_. And she'd _definitely_ let him know that. His wolf bared its teeth at the thought; both man and wolf couldn't wait to tangle with their leopard.


	13. Day 13

"It's lucky no one in this house has hay fever," Kit remarked casually. He was leaning against the doorjamb, once again only wearing a pair of ratty old jeans. How they'd managed to survive shifting for so long was anyone's guess. Kit wasn't the most careful when it came to clothes and the shift.

Rina sat, once again, at the kitchen table, coffee half-forgotten, staring at her latest gift. Her wolf was proving to be quite tenacious – the one currently sitting on her table was the third in as many days. She was a little surprised at its location, since the chocolates yesterday had been lying on top of her pillow when she'd returned home last night. She'd almost expected something to fall out onto her when she opened her closet this morning.

But no, they were back to being left on the table. It was probably for the best, since she was hoarding the chocolate under her bed.

Especially since it was a plant.

"Who the hell is this guy?" Kit asked, plopping into the seat opposite hers. Leaning forward with his arms on the table, he put his chin down on his crossed forearms and stared at her newest pot plant.

"Not telling," she murmured distractedly. It was so lovely to look at. Leaves of the darkest green, with pale pink petals blushing into delicate bloom.

"At least it's not another cactus," Kit grinned.

"Shut up, Kit."

"He's really fond of plants." There was a question in Kit's eyes, which Rina ignored. She knew she couldn't keep Felix's identity a secret forever, especially since he was unexpectedly bold when it came to courtship. Truth be told, she was a little worried about her brother's – and the rest of the pack's – reaction. She, a dominant soldier, with him, a submissive _horticulturist_? And a _wolf_ to boot?

It was petty, and mean, and altogether bitchy, but she had balls enough to admit to herself at least that her hesitancy with moving their relationship forward stemmed in part from what others would think.

Rina mirrored Kit's position, placing her chin on her forearms, as her leopard paced inside her mind in confusion. God, what a mess.

As she stared at the lilies in their stylish black ceramic pot, her mind wandered over to the words written on her latest note. It was currently stuffed into the waistband of her panties, safe from Kit's prying eyes.

 _The flowers bloomed last week, and they reminded me of you. She's my first successful peace lily hybrid. You'll look after her well, won't you?_

 _Yours, Felix_

The warmth that spread through her chest at the note was something different to the sensual spark between them, or the skin hunger of the leopard. No, the feeling was as pure and as beautiful as the delicate blooms in front of her. And he'd signed off with _'yours'_. As in _hers_. Her leopard growled in agreement. Soon, all her misgivings and bitchiness may cease to matter.

Because Felix was all _theirs_.


	14. Day 14

Felix stared at his cell phone as he waited for his latest gift to bake. Should he text her? Probably not. But maybe. She might've forgotten about him.

It had now been _four entire days_ since he'd seen his lovely leopardess and both man and wolf were getting a little antsy. It was positively unnatural to go so long without your mate. He had no idea how some of his fellow pack members did it when one of them was required to leave the den.

Felix should be getting a fucking award for his self-restraint. It was positively Herculean.

He should just text her.

Before he could change his mind, he picked up his cell, and started typing.

 _Did you like the flowers?_

Was that too blunt? Probably, but it was too late now; he'd pressed the send button as soon as he'd typed the question, not giving his doubts a chance to intercede. As the smell of cooking bakery items wafted over him, he waited anxiously for her reply.

A minute passed. Maybe she was busy. Like on a patrol.

Then two. Or stuck down a ravine. Or flirting with someone who wasn't him.

Then – his cell pinged.

In his excitement, Felix dropped it on the carpet.

"Dammit," he muttered, bending to pick it up. Thank God no one could see him acting like a total fool over a woman who could barely be convinced to give him the time of day.

 _I did. They're very pretty._

It was Rina. Felix's lips curved into a smile. _She liked the flowers._

A few seconds later:

 _Thank you for them. I'm looking after them well, I promise._

Felix's smile grew wider. His leopard might not realise it, but this was one hell of a step in the right direction – namely, towards him. She'd thanked him. And she'd felt the need to tell him that she was looking after his peace lilies. Of course, Felix had expected nothing less, not after the way she'd listened to him so intently as he'd explained proper cactus care. It was such a small thing, but it _mattered_.

 _I didn't doubt it for a second_ , he replied.

As he waited for her reply, he wondered what her reaction might be to the compliment. Would she blush? No, that didn't seem very Rina-ish. Would she roll her eyes in exasperation, but still not help the small grin on her lips? Or would she flash that bold, beautiful smile at him and raise her eyebrow as if to ask _"What else did you expect?"_?

Probably option three.

 _What are you up to?_ Felix sat up straighter on the sofa, and leaned eagerly over his cell. Perhaps Rina was as curious about his daily life as he was about hers.

 _I'm baking cupcakes for my sister_. And her, of course. It was to be his gift for today, but he wasn't about to tell her that.

 _Yummy!_ God, _she_ was yummy.

And then: _What kind are they?_

They were chocolate mud, but for his own devilish reasons, he didn't want to tell her that either. _Not telling._

She texted back a frowning emoji. _Please?_

 _Nope._

 _What if I ask nicely?_

Felix smiled. Rina was playing with him. _His mate_ was playing with him. _Still no_.

 _What if I ask not so nicely?_ She replied. His wolf chuckled as he imagined her frowning down at her cell.

 _It's difficult for that to be threatening via text, even for you, Rina._

 _You do realise I know where you live?_

 _Since my ultimate goal has been to get you to my place all this time, my evil plan is working…_ Insert devil emoji.

Felix really wished he could see Rina's face at that very moment. Two weeks to the day, and he couldn't believe that they'd hardly flirted. He felt that no matter how much Rina was making him chase her, he should've sent her a devil emoji before this.

 _You're lucky I have to be in the city soon, wolf. Otherwise I'd be raiding your oven._

A part of Felix felt disappointed. He'd half-hoped she'd take the bait and come storming to his cabin by the greenhouses, so that she could steal the cupcakes, and arch one of her perfect eyebrows at him in smug victory.

And then, of course, they could make out for a few hours.

 _You're free to raid my oven anytime, kitty._

All she sent in reply was a disgruntled emoji.

And for some reason, it made Felix's day.


	15. Day 15

Rina was so, so glad that Kit was out of the house for a few days. Because otherwise she didn't know how she'd stand the merciless teasing. She'd probably end up killing her brother to be perfectly honest. It would be the only way to shut him up.

Lingerie.

The damn wolf had got her actual, honest to God, _lingerie_.

Rina didn't know if she should be angry, or flattered, or amused, or… confused.

Yeah, confused sounded about right.

She'd trudged into the cabin early in the morning, sometime after six, after getting off her night shift. Not really paying attention to what she was doing, she'd automatically headed up the stairs to her room, dropped her stuff on the floor by the door, and was just about to flop down on her soft, wonderful bed, when she'd noticed the flat cardboard box blocking prime flopping space.

It was largish, rectangular, and finished in a sophisticated matte black. Her leopard had been instantly intrigued. Her fatigue of a few moments ago was pushed to the back of her mind as she'd perched on the edge of her bed and gazed down upon it. It seemed as though her wolf was up to his usual tricks. Yesterday, she'd come home to a dozen chocolate mud cupcakes, iced with a heavy layer of chocolate ganache. She'd somehow controlled herself from eating them all at once. Of course Felix would be a damned good cook. And to top it all off, he was just as fond of the liberal use of emojis as she was.

Her curiosity had quickly turned into shock and a touch of anticipation however, when she'd noticed the discreet logo embossed in the top left corner of the lid. It was of a high-end lingerie store in San Francisco. Rina had walked past the storefront many a time, sighing over the pieces on display in the window, but had always quickly moved on before her will gave out and she went in and bought something on impulse.

Her leopard padding to the front of her mind, she slowly lifted the lid with growing anticipation. She quickly flicked the top layer of tissue paper aside to see what her damn wolf had got her now.

A bra and panties set was nestled with the greatest care in the white tissue. She reached out to graze her fingertips over lace in the softest pink she'd ever seen. She knew by touch that they'd glide on – and off – her body with feathery ease, the colour lending a softness to her complexion.

She reached out to trace the edge of the cups of the bra, which were of a full balconette cut. The panties, whilst being cut like booty shorts, were still ridiculously sexy, made of the same sheer decadent lace as the bra.

Rina was surprised at Felix's taste. Not in her wildest dreams had she expected her submissive wolf to buy her lingerie. And if he ever _did_ , she would've expected him to get something more… skimpy. But no, the gift had turned out to be something sophisticated and so decadent, that it had her leopard wanting to nuzzle its face into the softness of the lace.

It seemed that Felix was just full of surprises. Her lips quirked at what Felix's reaction would be when she wore it for him.

And it also seemed that her decision was made. All her reservations were still there, but it felt as if they were becoming more and more surmountable. Things were far simpler for her leopard: the wolf had respected her wishes for distance, but hadn't given up. He'd chased her in his own sweet, stubborn way over the last few days.

And truth be told, she _missed_ Felix. She missed seeing the open warmth in his dark eyes, his scent wrapping around her in an already familiar way.

And the kisses. Oh, the kisses. There hadn't been a single night since Rina had seen her wolf last that she hadn't tossed and turned in her sheets in sheer frustration. She missed the intimate skin privileges they'd shared, brief as they had been.

The leopard growled. The woman's grin was just as feral. The wolf and she had unfinished business.


	16. Day 16

For some inexplicable reason, Rina was nervous. She sat in her usual pack vehicle, gripping the steering wheel tightly, and stared at the greenhouse in front of her.

Perhaps Felix wasn't in.

She snorted. She'd texted him first thing in the morning, asking him what he was up to today. He'd replied that he was going to be working on some clippings in the greenhouse for the better part of the day. So _of course_ that's where he'd be.

Right here. In the greenhouse.

Rina took a deep breath and let go of the wheel. Only to grip the edge of her seat. She was a DarkRiver soldier, dammit! People described her as a hardass on the best of days.

Then why was she so scared to go inside?

Uniquely for her, this confusion belonged solely to the human, not the leopard. No, the leopard wanted to prowl in and pounce on the delicious man who'd been teasing and playing with them for the past five days. The leopard wanted to rub its fur against his hot skin, lick all over, and maybe even bite a little –

"Snap out of it," Rina muttered to herself. "You can do this."

She took one more deep breath and stepped out of the car.

* * *

Felix had known the moment Rina rolled down the drive to the greenhouse. A quick peek out the front door from behind a trellis heavy with growing vines, had revealed the same vehicle as the one she'd dropped him home in before, parked behind Lyla. It made Felix smile. His kitty was coming to him.

That had been fifteen minutes ago.

Felix sighed in frustration. He hadn't heard the rumble of the engine, so she was still out there – or at least, she hadn't started the car to leave. Had she gotten out of the car and just… wandered off?

Felix frowned. That didn't sound like Rina. But then, where was she? Should he go out there and –?

"Hey." Felix turned around, his grin wide and automatic at the sound of Rina's voice. His wolf padded to the surface of his mind at the sight of her standing in the doorway of the greenhouse. The sun poured in around her, gilding her blonde hair, and caressing her skin to a soft glow. God, she took his breath away.

"Hey," Felix replied softly. They both walked towards each other, coming to an uncertain stop only two feet apart.

Their eyes met, and Felix felt that frisson of connection that was both familiar and new every time. And he couldn't stop smiling. She was _here_ , in his space. She'd come to him; finally, she'd come to him.

But she was hesitating. She'd been hesitating in the car for fifteen minutes, and now she was hesitating _right in front of him_. It confused and disappointed Felix that she still had doubts, still wasn't willing to give in fully. It made his wolf want to howl in sorrow.

Felix held the intense eye contact, and tried to counsel the wolf. He'd been patient these last five days; he could be patient a few moments more. She _had_ to come to him. She would have to _choose_ him –

She took the step and-a-half required to shrink the distance between them into nothing. Still, their eyes remained connected.

Rina's eyes widened a little, perhaps in surprise. She reached out her arms, her fingertips touching his. Felix twined his fingers with hers, and Rina smiled.

Felix smiled back, lifted their clasped hands to his lips, and gently kissed the back of her palms. Her smile widened, and Felix brought their entwined fingers to rest on his chest. Her hands were warm and a little rough. He couldn't wait to feel those hands all over his body.

"I missed you," he murmured, his voice a little rumbly with his wolf so close to the surface of his skin.

Rina stepped closer, and her smile grew wider as she looked up at him. Her eyes roved over his face, as if she were trying to memorise it. His wolf preened.

"I missed you too," she murmured back.

 _Then why didn't you come to me sooner?_ But that was unfair to the both of them. Rina hadn't cut off all contact with him; they'd been texting – and flirting via emoji – every day. And Felix was having fun courting Rina. In terms of _that_ at least, she hadn't been dismissing him because he was submissive. They'd both been enjoying the chase.

Felix nuzzled her cheek with his nose, felt her cheeks move as her lips widened into a bigger smile. She cuddled even closer, their hands trapped between their chests.

"Thank you for the gloves, again," Rina said.

"Have you tried them?" Felix asked, feeling pleased.

"Yeah, I did – used them with weights yesterday. They were great! I loved them."

Felix smiled. "You'll have to let me watch you use them someday."

"Do you box?" she asked, nuzzling her nose into the fabric of his shirt. It was an old flannel shirt, soft and almost shapeless after countless washes. He was glad that it was clean, although he couldn't see his tough-as-nails soldier turning up her nose at a little dirt.

Letting go of one of her hands, he brushed aside the strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail so that he could see her face clearly, and murmured, "No. I prefer tai chi." It was a gentler martial art, more suited to his instincts – he'd never had the inclination to try a more aggressive style. Although, all SnowDancer submissives had combat training, himself included.

He felt more than saw her smirk into his shirt. "Isn't that what old ladies do in the park?"

"Hey! It's a very serious martial art! We have competitions and everything."

"If you say so."

"Stop laughing at me."

"I'm not laughing at you!"

He bent his head, and touched his forehead to hers. "I can practically see your leopard snickering."

Rina bumped his nose with her own. "Leopards do not snicker."

Felix grinned. "I'll show you one day, if you like."

"Really?" She smiled, and reached for his free hand, twining their fingers once more. "I'd like that."

Their hands entwined, their foreheads leaning against each other, Felix looked into Rina's beautiful hazel eyes once more, and dared to let the wolf rise to the surface. He watched as Rina's own eyes shifted to the green-gold of her wilder half, and he fell in love with her a little more. The contact was intense, searing in a way that went beyond even intimate skin privileges. It was almost… _under_ -the-skin privileges. The thought didn't make much sense, but neither man nor wolf were really in the mood to question it. No, they just wanted to play with their mate.

"I want to bite you," Felix murmured, taking a chance that this dominant leopard wouldn't take it the wrong way.

His courage was rewarded. Rina's eyes sparkled up at him, her scent shifting subtly, making the want inside him burn brighter. "Dare you," she smirked.

* * *

Rina was sunk. Well and truly sunk. If someone had told her two weeks ago that she'd be entangled with a submissive wolf, she would've laughed, and suggested they get their brain scanned. But here she was, standing toe to toe with one, both woman and leopard charmed out of their caution despite her best efforts. There were legitimate concerns to discuss still, but they could wait. The whole world could wait. At this very moment, she just wanted to kiss the living daylights out of her wolf.

And so she did just that. Unable to resist the restlessness that had been growing for the past five days, she leaned up, closing the gap between their mouths.

Her leopard lunged at the first electric touch of their lips, but Rina reined it in. Their last exploration of sharing intimate skin privileges had gone rather well, but there was no need to end _this_ time prematurely, just because she couldn't keep it in her pants. Neither did she want to inadvertently spook Felix's wolf. It had been several days since their last kiss, and despite the fact that Felix had been rather relentless in his courtship since then, the wolf may not –

Felix's tongue darted out, gently tracing the seam between her lips. She opened her mouth in reply to his silent question, more than happy to deepen their kiss.

He untangled their fingers, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her impossibly closer.

Not one to be outdone, Rina wound her own arms up his broad shoulders, petting and caressing. But that wasn't her end goal, not what she'd been thinking about doing since their date by the waterfall. Her fingers stroked over his nape, ran through his luxuriant hair, the strands cool, raw silk. She tugged gently, and in response, the wolf rumbled, the deep sound reverberating through his chest, making her breasts tingle.

Rina purred.

Pulling away, just enough that they could take a breath, she said, "Make that sound again when we're naked."

 _"Rina,"_ her wolf rumbled. His high cheekbones were flushed under the warm brown of his skin, but despite her provocation, he didn't pull away. Neither did he back down, as she'd half expected. "As long as you purr." He bumped his nose against hers, gave her a grin painted with arrogance.

"Since you've kept your promise to make me purr already, I think we can come to some sort of arrangement," she replied, letting her own lips curve with the same arrogance.

"What did you think of my last gift?" Felix asked, tracing the shell of her ear with the tip of his finger. The caress caused tingles to shiver through her. Taking a risk, she turned her head, snapped her teeth at those lovely fingers in play. Rina was conscious to move relatively slowly; she didn't want to harm him, and neither did she want to scare him off. She couldn't stifle the leopard within her, either. If they were going to do this, _really_ do this, he'd have to learn to handle the both of them.

Felix closed his fingers away. Rina cuddled a little closer, covertly checking if he was okay. A short pause later, she felt his feather-light touch against her ear once more.

Rina narrowed her eyes at him, and Felix smiled back innocently, _still_ tracing her ear. This had her leopard intrigued. Perhaps Felix could handle them after all.

"You think very highly of yourself," she replied, a touch archly.

That touch of arrogance was back in his smile, unrepentant. "Are you wearing them right now?" His hands slid down to the edge of her t-shirt; slid up again to rest above the waistband of her jeans, skin to skin. The heat of those deliciously rough hands only added fuel to the sexual fire that burned bright inside her.

Not ready to give in that easily, though, Rina gave him an evil grin. "Want to find out?" she murmured. She ran her fingers through his gorgeous hair again, because she couldn't resist. God, if she weren't careful, petting this man would fast become an addiction.

Felix groaned. Bending his head towards her, he took her lips in a kiss that was hard, hot, and delicious… and over all too soon.

"Desperately," he rumbled, the wolf apparent in his voice. His eyes, too, were the grey of the wolf within.

Rina stared into those eyes that were in no way human in this moment, let her own leopard surface to the fore. When he didn't break eye contact _again_ , she decided to take one more risk. A part of her cautioned that they'd already gone far enough for today. But Rina Monahan wasn't known for being reckless without basis. And so, she went for it.

* * *

"I want to touch your throat," the cat in Felix's arms said softly. No matter the quietness of her voice, he heard the challenge from her leopard loud and clear. His wolf paused, the spell this woman had them under, if not broken, then momentarily lifted.

The throat was… a sensitive area in wolf culture. Skin privileges there were granted only with the utmost trust. Felix _did_ trust Rina… but could the wolf trust such a strong predator to not rip out his throat? Or could he trust his own beast not to take over and force him into a primal submission, one borne not of a conscious understanding between the two of them, but of the survival instincts of the animal?

"Okay," Felix said, making his decision. His kitty had played with him, come to him, treated him as an equal. For this relationship to work, he had to be willing to put himself out there, too. "But the wolf… might not be ready for that," he warned. He could feel his animal inside him, confused and yet a little wary, but ready to trust the human on this one. Ready to trust _Rina_ on this one.

Rina smiled, and placed her palm on his cheek, looking him right in the eye. "We'll go slow, okay?" And there went his heart, again.

But he frowned in response. "I don't want you having to hold yourself in check around me." The thought came from a place of fierce male pride. What sort of man would he be if his mate didn't feel free to be herself around him?

"But it's fun teasing you." Her smile widened, and the palm cupping his cheek trailed down towards his neck.

Felix couldn't help but shudder as her fingers delicately traced the skin over such a vulnerable area. He held still otherwise, let her explore. Despite his best intentions, the wolf rose to the fore, colouring his thoughts. And it was delighted by its mate as much as the man. Rina _was_ being slow, gentle, but the intense focus of her gaze, the flush of rose in her cheeks, the wild scent of her, all said that she was enjoying this, enjoying petting him.

At that moment, her eyes flicked up to meet his, asking a silent question. He could only manage the barest of smiles in reply, his desire for her so strong, that it was taking a lot of effort to keep still, to not bend his own lips to the soft skin of her neck, and taste.

Apparently, Rina had some Psy ancestry, because it was as if she read his mind. Her lips curved into that wicked grin that had him thinking about all sorts of naked shenanigans, before she reached up on her toes, and grazed her lips against his neck.

 _Too much_. Unable to control his wolf anymore, Felix snapped. He bent his head and caught those ever-so-soft lips in a kiss that held his heart.

Breaking away long moments later, both of them breathing hard, Felix managed to get out, "Enough," his voice coloured with the wolf's so it came out as a deep, almost unintelligible growl.

Rina tightened her hold around his shoulders, the very tips of her claws pricking the muscle there, her chest heaving against his, and a slightly dazed look in her eyes. "I wasn't expecting that," she murmured.

Felix was smug. Submissive wolf he may be, but he could still surprise his mate.

In answer to his self-satisfied grin, she gave a sly grin of her own. "When can I kiss your neck again?"

This woman was going to be the death of him, Felix knew it. And he was going to love every minute of it.


	17. Day 17

The next day, Rina found herself sitting at the kitchen table, unable to concentrate. She'd brought her laptop and a couple of data pads she'd borrowed from the university library down here, so that she could take advantage of the bright afternoon sun pouring in through the open windows. Perhaps she'd be better able to concentrate if she went out to the porch. Or maybe if she made a cup of tea.

Rina groaned, and flopped her forehead to the table, the timber sun-warmed under her skin. What was the point? Apparently, Felix had her under some sort of spell, because she couldn't get him out of her head. Mind control was more likely, since magic wasn't real, and Psy were. She'd have to ask Sascha when she next saw her. It was true that changeling mental shields were nigh on impossible to breach, but who knew if Felix had a touch of Psy blood in him that allowed him to squirrel his way into her thoughts? Perhaps she should talk with Ashaya about this theory. If anyone would know about latent genetics, it would be the brilliant Ashaya Aleine.

She banged her head gently against the table. _Of course_ it wasn't mind control, either. No, it was simply good, old-fashioned lust. She'd gone to him yesterday, unable to resist the beautiful thing that was growing between them. Being so close to him had been wonderful. Breathing in his scent, seeing that beautiful smile, the rumble of his wolf wrapping around her; it had been familiar and brand new all at once. The skin privileges had been a happy bonus. A _very_ happy bonus. Aside from being delightful in and of themselves, they'd been enough to quiet the sexual hunger of her beast… for now. But that hunger wasn't gone. She had a feeling that the inferno between Felix and herself wouldn't simply disappear after they'd had sex. No, things weren't as simple as that anymore.

She glanced over at her cactus, sitting proudly in its jaunty red pot, in the centre of the table. The peace lilies she'd moved over to a side table near the giant floor cushions they had in lieu of couches.

She knew Felix was playing for keeps. No matter his position in the hierarchy, Felix had made it clear from day one that he was serious, that he wanted a long-term relationship. And for the first time in her life, Rina was… okay with that. She'd come back from her roaming several months ago, the mind of the leopard, if not calmer, at least clearer. It was the leopard's clarity she used now to focus herself – in both her training as a soldier, and her studies in actuarial science.

But a forever kind of relationship? It hadn't been something she'd seriously _ever_ considered. Until Felix.

Glancing over at the cactus again, the petals from its pretty pink flowers creating a carpet over the soil, she sighed. She should be taking advantage of this uncommonly quiet afternoon, not mooning over a stupid _boy_. She opened the lid of her laptop, and got to work.

… And was interrupted by a knock on her door ten minutes later.

Scenting the packmate on the other side, she called out, "It's open!"

Mercy walked in a moment later, a smile on her face, her smooth movements speaking of the confidence of her leopard.

Rina smiled in welcome, a little confused as to why Mercy was here, but always glad for the company of Pack. Because Pack was family, and family was always welcome.

"I was just about to put the kettle on," Rina said. Her ten minutes of work could kindly be labelled as unproductive. An afternoon pick-me-up would not go amiss. She got up from the table, and gave the sentinel a hug. Despite Mercy being only a few years older than her, the leopard that was Rina's other half instantly calmed in her presence. It recognised Mercy's own dominance, gave her the respect she deserved because of her position in the hierarchy. And as one of the pack's highest-ranked members, that was _a lot_ of respect. But it was more than that. Mercy was one of the most stable people in the pack, had been that way as long as Rina could remember. Her mating with SnowDancer's most senior lieutenant had only enhanced that quality. The way Mercy's animal was so comfortable in its own skin soothed her own beast.

"Tea would be perfect," Mercy replied, following Rina into the kitchen. She grabbed two mugs from a cupboard as Rina filled an old-fashioned kettle with water, and placed it on the stove. It had been an odd quirk of her mother's, the use of the antiquated utensil. The small act of using it still made Rina feel a little closer to her, to this day.

"How are the pupcubs?" Rina asked, grinning. All of DarkRiver and SnowDancer couldn't wait for the birth Mercy and Riley's babies.

Mercy beamed. "Wonderful."

Mercy was one of the strongest women Rina knew, and it was fascinating to see such open joy at her impending motherhood. Rina was nowhere near ready to have cubs of her own, but seeing Mercy this way gave her food for thought. Maybe you could be both a hard ass, and a mother… because even though she was carrying multiple tiny lives inside her, Mercy Smith was no less dangerous, no less deadly.

"Keenan and Ashaya baked me an entire batch of cookies," Rina said. She grabbed the container off a bench, and put several on a plate, taking it to the table.

Mercy dropped two teabags into the mugs as Rina shut her laptop, and placed it and the data pads to the side, out of the way.

"And Dorian didn't steal any?" Mercy asked.

The kettle whistled, and Rina poured the steaming water into the mugs. "Milk?" she asked.

Mercy shook her head, no. They both walked to the dining table, and sat down, the steam dancing in between them.

"I got to them before he came back from his shift," Rina replied.

"Smart," Mercy nodded. "Cute cactus." She took a sip of her tea.

Rina took a sip of her own scalding tea, to avoid replying. She looked over at the cactus, and internally sighed.

"Thanks," she said. If Mercy thought that she was going to bring up her wolf all by herself…

"Your wolf has a rather eccentric idea of courtship."

Rina almost choked on her next sip. Mercy's eyes danced over the edge of her cup, the cat's amusement clear.

"Does the entire pack have nothing better to do than gossip?" Rina snarled. She'd never thought of herself as a particularly private person, quite comfortable with the way the pack found out practically everything. Hell, she enjoyed hearing the latest gossip travelling on the pack grapevine as much as the next leopard.

Mercy laughed, unrepentant. "Tell me about him."

Rina looked up from her teacup. "Are you asking as a sentinel, or as a nosy packmate?"

Mercy reached over and placed a warm hand over one of Rina's, where they cradled her mug on the table. "I'm asking as someone who understands what it's like to fall head over heels for a wolf." She gave Rina's hand a small squeeze.

"Head over heels is a bit of an overstatement," Rina muttered.

"Can I touch your cactus?"

"No!"

Mercy gave a knowing grin.

Rina sighed. Okay, so she obviously cared for Felix more than she was willing to let on.

"He's… wonderful," she mumbled.

Mercy nodded. "What's holding you back? You've never been shy about men before."

"We're… things are… it's complicated," she finished lamely. God, why couldn't she just come out and say it? Well, she knew why. The difference between their dominance was holding her back in more ways than one. It was a slap to the face to realise that she was petty enough that one of those reasons was because she was worried about what others would think of their relationship.

"If you're worried about pack stuff, it's not an issue," Mercy said. "You'll be DarkRiver, and your wolf SnowDancer. No one's going to demand that you change your allegiance – or prove your loyalties."

Rina gave a small smile in thanks. She _had_ been a little worried about having to prove herself all over again. It seemed as if she'd spent a lot of her life trying to prove herself. First, that she could take care of both herself _and_ Kit after their dad had died, then as a hot-headed novice, and now as a junior soldier, able to balance both her training and her university studies. She _knew_ that she was capable of becoming senior soldier one day. She just had to show everyone else, too.

"… That's not all of it," Rina said quietly. She figured that she should take advantage of Mercy's advice and support. That's what Pack did, helped each other. "It's… there's a huge dominance gap between us."

Mercy frowned. "You're the more dominant one?"

Rina nodded. She took a large gulp of her cooling tea.

"And he's not okay with that?" There was a dangerous edge to Mercy's voice.

"No!" Rina said, a little alarmed. God, she didn't want to accidentally set the wrath of Mercy Smith on poor Felix. Especially since he didn't deserve that _at all_. "He seems fine with it, actually." And he _had_. Not once had Felix indicated that he found her strength a problem, that it undermined his own masculinity and sense of self in any way. Hell, he seemed to _like_ her for it. "He's a submissive."

"Ah." Mercy leaned back in her chair, contemplative. "That explains a lot of your hesitation."

"It does?" Rina asked, bemused. "You don't think I'm being snooty and petty?"

"No, I think you're being practical and mature. We're not human, Rina. Our animals have to be happy with our choices, too."

Rina nodded, understanding what Mercy was saying.

"What does your leopard think of him?"

"It wants to pet him all over," she admitted. "But it's also worried about the dominance gap." For perhaps the first time in her life, Rina's leopard was being confusing. Usually, the animal thought in far more black and white terms, its decisions more clear-cut.

"Hmm." Mercy tapped her cup in thought. "Who exactly is your wolf, Rina?"  
Rina hesitated. Up until now, her courtship with her wolf had been a private indulgence, despite it becoming clear that her packmates knew far more than she'd thought. Fucking Kit and his big mouth. Saying his name to someone else somehow made everything seem more real. And maybe that's just what she needed.

"His name's Felix," she said, staring intently at her cup. Mercy was right. It was _so_ unlike her to be so shy about a man. It shouldn't be different with Felix, but it was.

"SnowDancer's chief horticulturalist?" Mercy asked, her eyebrows raised. "Where on earth did you _find_ him?"

"He found me, actually," Rina mumbled.

" _He_ pursued _you_?" The disbelief in Mercy's voice even more apparent.

"There's no need to sound so surprised," Rina muttered.

Mercy had the decency to smile apologetically. "Sorry, Reen. I guess I never pegged him for the type. He always seemed so quiet."

"You've met him before?"

Mercy nodded. "I bumped into him while helping out during the replanting." There had only been one instance to date that could be referred to as "the replanting". Sienna Lauren's X-fire had saved them all during that battle. Rina had missed out on the project to help regenerate the denuded area however, since she'd gone roaming only a few days after Henry Scott's attack.

"I can see why he's got you so interested. He's a beautiful man."

Rina frowned, her leopard growling in warning. "Aren't you happily mated?"

Mercy laughed. "I'm mated, not blind."

Rina's frown deepened, the growl threatening to rumble out of her chest.

Mercy just grinned.

"He's more than a pretty face," Rina said, feeling the need to defend Felix. God, he must get that all the time, especially given his past modelling career. "He's smart, and kind, and loyal, and – why are you laughing at me?" She could see Mercy trying to hold in her snickering, but failing miserably.

"I'm not laughing at _you_. I'm laughing at this entire situation."

"What's the difference?" Rina grumbled, grabbing a cookie, and slouching a little in her chair.

"What's worrying you, Rina? It's clear as day that you like Felix. And it's even clearer that he likes you back."

"But the dominance –"

Mercy held up a hand, halting her words. "Hear me out, okay? Yes, the difference in dominance is an issue. But truth be told, it was an issue for a lot of successful couples. And yes, in most of those cases the female is not more dominant, but who's to say it can't work? Every relationship has its challenges. This is just one of yours."

The heart of the leopard couldn't help but grab onto this kernel of hope. "Do you really think we could make it work?"

Mercy shrugged. "I think you're already making it work."

Rina thought about this. The statement had the ring of truth to it. She'd gone to him yesterday, just because she'd missed him for those days they'd been giving each other space. Hell, Rina had to be honest. They hadn't seen each other because he'd been respecting her request for some time to think.

"Are skin privileges a problem?" Mercy asked.

Rina shrugged. "We're taking things slow."

"I can sense that's frustrating your leopard to no end."

Rina shrugged again. "Neither leopard nor human want to share skin privileges with anyone else."

Mercy grinned. "There's something to be said about anticipation. Enjoy the chase, Rina."

Rina smiled in thanks.

"Thanks for the tea," Mercy said. "I have to get to CTX." CTX was the communications company in which DarkRiver held a large share. Mercy worked there, too, on top of all her responsibilities as sentinel and SnowDancer liaison. Rina had no idea when she ever had any spare time.

"Thanks for coming by… and for talking," Rina said as she walked Mercy to the door. "Did Dorian put you up to it?"

Mercy gave Rina a hug, just before stepping out of the door. Automatically, Rina returned the hug, finding comfort in the easy skin privileges of Pack.

"He _may_ have mentioned something," Mercy said with a sly grin. "But like I said, I know what it's like to fall for a wolf."

 _And you know what it means to look after Pack_ , Rina thought. Both Dorian and Mercy had realised that Rina had a lot on her mind, and had helped in their own ways.

"I'm looking forward to meeting your sexy wolf," Mercy said, giving a final wave before heading towards the tree line.

Rina rolled her eyes, but waved as Mercy melted into the trees. God, her packmates could be as nosy as those pesky wolves sometimes. But it all came from a place of love.

Rina headed back to the kitchen table, picked up the two used mugs to put them in the sink. Things were a little clearer for the leopard, thanks to Mercy's little chat. _But now I have to decide if I'm_ really _serious about this_ , Rina thought grimly. Felix was… amazing. Question was, could they really do this?

Perhaps. Just perhaps…

They could.


End file.
